Waitsburg Has Water Woes

WAITSBURG - Last week's public information meeting regarding a pro- posed water rate increase was pushed back a month, but the City doesn't have the luxury of waiting to address current water system needs.

Letters inviting the com- munity to attend the Novem- ber City Council meeting and offer input or ask ques- tions regarding a potential water bill increase were included with Waitsburg residents' most recent utility statements. While a handful of individuals did show up to that meeting, the discussion date was pushed to Dec. 16 at the request of council member K. C. Kuykendall, who was unable to attend and wished to be present for the discussion.

The proposed rate in- crease of $4.90 per month - which could potentially be phased in over time - is in response to several factors, including several major is- sues with the current water system that must be addressed in the near future. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe estimates the increase could add up to $30,000 to the 2014 budget if implemented in full in January.

In 2012 Hinchliffe pro- posed a rate increase of $2.30 a month, stating that it would "increase the fund to levels where they are sufficient for the year" but would not provide for capital improvements in the water and sewer systems. That rate increase was denied. Today, not addressing infrastructure improvements is no lon- ger an option, according to Hinchliffe.

Earlier this month, the City became aware of water bubbling from a metal cap by the storm drain in front of Waitsburg Grocery. Hop- ing to find a leaking valve or broken water service to the grocery- a relatively quick fix - the crew dug down but was unable to find a leak. They did encounter water running back into the area where the valve was located from the two-inch line that runs across Main Street, leading them to believe the leak was coming from that line.

Because that section of road is part of the State Highway system, and the fact that the main line was installed in 1950 and is unfranchised, the City is unable to work on it unless it becomes franchised with the state - a time consuming process. In addition, work done on state highways must meet more stringent code require­ments, which translates to high­er costs to the City. To speed the process and save money, a deci­sion was made to abandon and replace the old line at a location outside of the DOT right of way.

Plans were made for the City crew to work with Harry John­son Plumbing and cut a section of road across Main Street, in front of Waitsburg Hardware, where a new water line would be placed and tied into existing lines. The leaking line under the road was to be capped off and abandoned.

Instead, Johnson was able to use a hydrophone to find and re­pair the leak which was located in the parking strip in front of The Times building which is out of DOT right of way. Due to time constraints, the total cost of the repairs is unknown at this time.

Hinchliffe says the City is aware of a second leak, further north on Main Street, in front of the Grain Growers building. "Hopefully, it's just a leaking valve," he said. "Right now it's just leaking into a storm drain, so it's not critical to address at the current time."

Of more immediate concern is the fact that the main City well, known as well #2, failed in September. The City was able to divert to its two back-up wells and kept up with demand, though they are not as efficient and put more stain on the sys­tem -- needing both wells to keep up with the output that well #2 normally handles. "It was evident in our power bills," said Hinchliffe. Waitsburg's water system is gravity fed from the Coppei springs and the wells are only necessary in the drier months, making this a good time to address the issue. The wells won't be needed until next year, and taking them offline won't impact the water needs of the City at present.

"Getting the well up and running is next on the priority list, weather permitting," said Hinchliffe. A crane will be necessary to pull the pump and casing out to determine where the problem lies. Though most likely an expense project, the City does have an insurance pol­icy that will cover costs above $25,000, if extensive repairs are required.

Additional upcoming capital expenditures include the need to replace undersized and ineffi­cient lines down Jay, Bruce and First Streets, as well as proac­tively addressing the need to de- chlorinate water that overflows from the reservoir in winter into the Touchet River.

The December City Council meeting date has been moved from Wednesday, December 18 to Monday, December 16. Com­munity members with questions or comments for the council regarding the proposed rate in­crease, the water system, or city expenditures are encouraged to attend December's meeting or contact City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe at City Hall at 337-6371 or email to rjhinch@gotvc.net.