EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council has approved an ordinance restricting the use of non-muffled compression brakes within city limits. The move comes after a resident expressed concerns about noise associated with compression brakes.

“We got a letter from a citizen asking us to consider it,” City Administrator Ray Towry said. 

The city is in the process of implementing the newly adopted rule, but implementation will include community education through social media and other means, Towry said. Signs will need to be ordered and posted at entrances to Ephrata as well. 

Compression brakes, often called jake brakes, work to help slow large, diesel vehicles by changing how fuel is delivered to the engine. When that happens, compressed air is released from the engine’s cylinders which can cause a loud noise. That can be muffled with various devices, but many large transport vehicles don’t have those devices installed. 

Towry said Ephrata City Council members opted to allow the use of compression brakes that are muffled because they wanted the safety a Jake brake system might provide while still having the reduced noise issues from unmuffled compression brakes.