New Irrigation System Needed For CHS Athletic Fields

Cookeville High School athletic fields will be getting a new irrigation system in the near future.

Superintendent of Schools Jerry Boyd said maintenance crews installed a temporary fix after the current hydraulic system experienced issues.

“With as dry as it’s been, they haven’t been able to get water to their fields,” Boyd said. “We had to do an above ground. They assemble pipes, sprinkle the fields, and then maintenance takes it down until they need to sprinkle it the next time. It’s a temporary above ground solution.”

The irrigation system serves football, baseball, and softball fields at CHS. Facilities Manager John Magura said the temporary system allows the baseball and softball fields to be ready for the upcoming season.

“The initial phase was to put temporary irrigation for the football field so the grass wouldn’t die,” Magura said. “Now, we’re extending piping to the baseball and softball fields so they can plant their winter grass.”

Board of education members will look to approve the bid letting for installing a new electric irrigation system during next month’s meeting. Magura estimated the project price to be about $100,000.