Colorado Springs Utilities changing, improving response to repair issues
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) finished repairing a broken water line Monday, after several weeks of delays and concerns expressed by neighbors and drivers.
But CSU revealed that it has taken steps to prevent similar issues in the future.
CSU said that a water line to a fire hydrant was leaking at the intersection of Briargate Boulevard and Rangewood Drive; repairs closed the northbound right lane of Rangewood, a block on either side of Briargate.
There is disagreement about how long the leak had occurred; Lisa Silver, a neighbor who contacted KRDO 13 about the situation, said that repairs started the first week of September but a CSU spokesman said that the utility didn't become aware of the matter until the first week of November.
Silver said that she was among several people frustrated by how long repairs took, the lack of response from CSU and the risk of crashes at the intersection.
"It's the curve in the road with the speed people are going, and the lack of visibility as you're coming up this hill," she said as she pointed to the intersection. The sign to move over was right at the top of the hill. People couldn't see it. I saw a lot of crashes and near-crashes here."
CSU apologized for what it calls an oversight and thanked citizens for their patience in the matter.
The utility said that it initially sent a crew to make a temporary repair, with plans to do a permanent fix at a later date; however, because of an error in its work order management system, CSU incorrectly filed the repair as a lower priority -- stating that the work zone wasn't affecting a street or traffic when it actually was.
CSU explained that it caught the error last week and now uses a new system of prioritizing work orders; the transition began around the same time the utility said that it responded to the leak at Briargate and Rangewood.
"To handle tasks more efficiently, and our crews are adapting to this new process," CSU said in a statement. "We have already implemented a second review process, which will help improve the scheduling of the right work, at the right time."
A CSU crew finished repairs Monday morning and removed construction signs and lane markers late that afternoon; another crew is expected to clean the lane that accumulated debris during its closure.
