Public Works Secures $58,900 Valve Trailer, Seeks Federal Grants for Infrastructure

Village of Manhattan Meeting | March 16, 2026

Article Summary: The Manhattan Village Board authorized the purchase of a specialized $58,900 trailer to modernize water valve maintenance, while Public Works announced efforts to secure federal grant funding for larger utility projects.

Public Works Upgrades Key Points:

• The board approved the $58,900 purchase of a Hurco Valve and Vac trailer from MacQueen Group.

• The new equipment will automate the maintenance of the village’s 4,517 water valves, reducing worker fatigue and preventing costly infrastructure damage.

• The village traded in an underutilized DitchWitch trailer to substantially offset the purchase price.

• Public Works Superintendent John Tyk announced the village has applied for federal funding through Senator Tammy Duckworth’s office to support wastewater and water tower projects.

The Manhattan Village Board on Monday, March 16, 2026, authorized a major equipment upgrade for the Public Works Department, voting unanimously to purchase a specialized piece of machinery designed to safely maintain the village’s sprawling water infrastructure.

The board approved a resolution authorizing the purchase of a Hurco Valve and Vac Trailer from the MacQueen Group. According to Public Works Superintendent John Tyk, the village’s water network currently relies on 4,517 separate valves. Historically, manually “exercising” (opening and closing) these valves to prevent them from seizing has been a grueling physical task that exposes workers to severe fatigue and potential back injuries.

The new trailer utilizes a controlled hydraulic arm to do the heavy lifting. Crucially, the machine is equipped with “smart” sensors that automatically stop the torque before a valve stem snaps, a feature that prevents the need for emergency, high-cost excavations when a seized valve is forced too hard by human hands.

To make the purchase financially feasible, Public Works proposed trading in the village’s old DitchWitch trailer, which had been sitting idle since the village added a VacCon truck to its fleet.

The village received two primary vendor quotes for the highly specialized equipment. Wachs Utility Products quoted a price of $95,486.00, while MacQueen Group offered the Hurco trailer for $83,195.00. With a $24,295 trade-in credit applied for the old DitchWitch, the final approved cost to the village dropped to $58,900.

In a separate update during the meeting, Superintendent Tyk informed the board that the village is aggressively pursuing outside funding to support its broader infrastructure needs.

“We have applied for some grants for some more funding for our wastewater and for a water tower through Tammy Duckworth,” Tyk announced. He noted that village staff are currently scheduling meetings with the Senator’s office this week to advocate for the federal appropriations. “Hopefully we’ll get some more funding for one of those projects.”