AUGUSTA — As necessary water meter replacements continue, Augusta City Council members continued to quiz water department employees about leak percentages and costs.
Interim spokesperson for the Augusta Water Treatment Plant, Susan Butts commented she was amazed at how low the year-to-date percentage of water loss actually was.
According to water department data Butts presented to council, there had been 11.5 million gallons of water lost since January, equating to about a 6.2 percent loss of water, she said.
Councilperson Jim Thornsbury equated the loss to about $17,250, in the form of a question to Butts, who replied she was not in accounting.
“I make the water,” she said.
Thornsbury continued to comment about past adverse water department reports and water loss percentages.
Late spring and early summer water losses sometimes topped 1 million gallons, prompting terse conversations between council members and former AWTP supervisor Jeff Mofford at past meetings.
Butts told council, even with losses calculated in, it appeared to cost about $156 per 100,000 gallons to process the water it sells to residents.
“How does it sound telling customers it costs $1.56 to make (per 1,000 gallons) but you are going to charge them almost $12,” Butts said.
There were also no major maintenance issues to report, Butts said.
In other business, council:
— Learned increased organized tours to the city from distant places were usually the result of efforts of Steve Henry of the Rosemary Clooney House Museum, or the Parkview Inn.
— Relayed complaints to Police Chief Greg Cummins about ATV traffic on city streets and the railroad tracks and suggested citing offenders instead of issuing warnings.
— Learned police radios will be replaced through a $8,400 grant by Homeland Security and suggested old radios be transferred to the fire department.
— Was informed replacing the roof of the maintenance building, which also covers the fire house, will require a bidding process. No major leaks are threatening the maintenance side and the fire department reported less problems, somewhat attributed to dry weather.
Contact Wendy Mitchell at [email protected] or call 606-564-9091, ext. 276.
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