Overton County Commissioners approved a project to repair a water leak at the historic county courthouse after discovering the issue had gone undetected for months.
Vice Chairman Darwin Clark said the leak first came to light after county officials noticed a spike in water usage and costs. Clark said the leak was tied to the building’s HVAC system.
“We first thought it was going to be the courthouse [that] was leaking, and it was just the regular plumbing, to the toilets, the sinks, and all of that,” Clark said. “Come to find out, after they did the research and looked, it showed that it was going to that central heating unit, the coolant, and the heater.”
Clark said to fix the issue, crews plan to install a new water line from the outdoor unit into the courthouse. The repair will cost the county an estimated $29,500.
“They’re going to come out of that outside unit with a new line and come across the concrete with a 12 by 24 inch ditch down through there,” Clark said. “And we’re going to go alongside the, if you’re familiar with the front of the courthouse, it’s going to go through the flower bed, and then it’s going to drill right into the side of the courthouse, and then downstairs with it.”
Clark said the county chose the most cost-effective repair option. Clark said an alternative would have required tearing up large sections of recently poured concrete, significantly increasing the cost.
“It’s already expensive enough just with what they’re doing there,” Clark said. “Anything we can do to save from busting up the concrete… will save money in the long run.”
Because of the leak, Clark said the HVAC system has not properly cooled parts of the building. Clark said a repair is urgent, as court proceedings are scheduled to resume at the courthouse in early May, making a functioning cooling system critical.
“If you’ve ever been to one of those meetings in the summertime up there, it will fry you,” Clark said. “So that’s the reason why it’s such a rush to get that opened back up.”
Clark said crews are expected to begin work soon, with repairs taking about a week if there are no delays. Clark said since the repair is an emergency, the county did not have to go through the typical bid process.