LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Water Company said while working on a major construction project on Frankfort Avenue last month, crews removed a nearly 15,000-pound piece of history.
According to a Tuesday morning news release from the utility company, the discovery was during a routine pipe inspection late last year. Louisville Water Site Inspector Tony Gathof found the relic: a 7-foot-wide cast iron check valve dating back to the 1870s. The valve was removed in early May while crews were working on the Frankfort Avenue Main Replacement Project.Â
According to the Louisville Water Company, a check valve acts like a "stop light" for moving water. Buried underground and attached to a pipe, the check valve is designed to allow water to only flow through it in one direction.
Former Louisville Water Company President and CEO John L. Huber suspects the valve was installed during construction of Central State Hospital on La Grange Road in east Louisville.
The valve was removed to make room for a new water main for the Frankfort Avenue Main Replacement Project.Â
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