“I think we’ve got a handle on the sewer system, now we’ve got to get a handle on the water system,” Hereford said Wednesday. “It’s our next big priority.”
One of the findings noted by auditors recently was that the city could not account for a large amount of its water.
Hereford said the city could not account for 35 percent of the water it used.
“That’s totally unacceptable,” he said.
Hereford said 10 percent of water loss is about standard but the more water a city loses, the more problems a city water department is perceived to have in its operations, procedures and systems.
An option city officials are considering is having a company manage its water system.
Hereford said three companies will look at the city’s water department and provide proposals as to how they can improve the water department so it operates more efficiently.
“There are a number of cities that are having their water systems managed by an outside company,” Hereford said. “They can bring more horsepower to bear.”
Todd said the city would have a management agreement with the company, while still maintaining full control of the water department.
“We would retain and have total control of our water system,” Todd said, adding that the water department could operate more profitably and efficiently.
Hereford said one company inspected the water department and another is gearing up to inspect the water department and present a proposal.
“Hopefully, we’ll have a third company to come out and evaluate the water system,” Hereford said. “We’ll see if this is the path we want to take.”
Also this week, the council approved a resolution to improve the accountability of water it once gave away for free.
Councilwoman Dot Wood pushed the passage of a resolution requiring companies who use city hydrants to obtain water permits, so the water used is metered and paid for by the company.
It was city policy to allow certain companies, like Alabama Power Company, Norfolk Southern Railway and even the State of Alabama, to use city water without paying for it. City officials considered the companies were providing a city service with their weed control programs, so they allowed the companies to use city water for free.
“We’re not thinking here,” Wood told the council Monday. “It’s the citizens’ water you’re giving away.”
Councilman Donnie Todd said he agreed with Wood.
“I water the city’s right of way everyday, and I pay for it,” he said.
The resolution, which was passed unanimously by the council, requires that any company or entity needing water from a hydrant must first notify the utility department and obtain permission in order for a meter to be installed to measure the water used.
“Payment for such usage shall be made at the current rate then in effect,” the resolution states.
Hereford is also expected to find out how much it will cost the city to contract work out to replace 500 outdated water meters.
Apparently the city has new replacement water radio meters in its utility shop, but the meters need to be installed. It was only recently discovered why those old 500 meters couldn’t be read electronically by air.
Hereford told the council the old meters need to be replaced immediately.
He said city utility workers were too busy with water connections and fixing water leaks that spring up throughout the city on a daily bases.
He said the city can save thousands of dollars reading the meters from the air but to do so, the old meters must be replaced immediately.
Hereford said the 500 meters, which need replacing, are currently read manually from the ground.
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