After hearing the report last Tuesday from Dan Wright, engineer with FPBH, on the condition of the town’s water supply and delivery infrastructure, the town council was pretty convinced that it is time to embark on a water utility project.
Wright told those present for the public hearing that two of the three wells owned and operated by the Town are in working order and in production. “However, both wells are required to be in serial operation in order to supply the volume necessary to meet the Town’s needs,” he reported. “This leaves no emergency redundancy.”
A majority of the Town’s supply, treatment and distribution system is nearing the end of useful life. “Broken mains are increasingly becoming a concern, as it is estimated that roughly half of the system is over 40-years of age; with the remaining components nearing or exceeding 25-years of age,” said the engineer. “Much of the older water mains are 4-inch diameter and contain dead-ends. Dead-end systems diminish fire protection and may adversely impact water quality by increasing water age.”
The distribution system also lacks adequate isolation valving that is necessary to properly perform maintenance and make repairs. “Inadequate valving raises operation and maintenance costs by increasing the number of manhours required to make emergency repairs. And a greater number of customers are impacted when these activities are performed,” he said
Residential water isn’t the primary focus of the needed improvements
Concerns in the Industrial Park located in the southern portion of Town are twofold. “Our industries often experience low pressure and inadequate fire protection volume resulting in the added expense of owning, maintaining and operating individual fire suppression tanks and systems,” said Wright. “Inadequate volume and flow to the Industrial Park may limit new development, as well as detour existing industries from expanding.”
Among the solutions to be considered in the water improvement project include:
•An additional 75,000 gallon elevated storage tower constructed at the intersection of US 31 & Industrial Way south of town for improved volume.
•Replace existing 4-inch diameter mains with 6-inch diameter mains and provide more fire hydrants.
•Eliminate dead-ends with looped systems.
•Replace inoperable valves and install isolation valves at strategic locations to reduce service area impacted during maintenance and/or breaks.
•Locate and develop new well to for additional water supply.
•Install new filtering system and renovate treatment facility on Co Rd 1000.
•Install new remote-read meters within the distribution system.
Cost estimate for the project has been placed at $9.65 million dollars with funding coming from federal grants and a State Revolving Loan Fund.
“It would not be prudent to think that a project of this size would not come without a local water rate increase,” said Wright.
He said that the process of applying for available grants and loans has already begun. Approval of those application could be known by July this summer.
If that goes as hoped for, the project would go to bif in April 2024 with bif opening in May of next year. Work would begin in June of 2024 with the nearly two-year project concluding in May 2026.