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City staff outline plan to investigate 37% water loss and describe splash‑pad operations
Summary
City staff reported a reported 37% average water loss in the city system and outlined steps to verify meters, install a master meter and hire leak detection; staff also described the new splash pad’s controls and how it is expected to conserve water compared with informal household water use.
City staff told the Estacada City Council on Feb. 10 that the city’s water master/conservation plan currently shows an average water loss of about 37 percent and outlined a step-by-step plan to verify and reduce that figure.
Staff (Melanie) said the city will first verify meter reads by doing a manual meter read and comparing those counts to recent automated reads collected by digital readers. The city plans to randomly test a sample of customer meters, install a new master meter to verify the plant output, and budget to hire a leak-detection contractor—work that could begin in the summer or sooner if needed. The near-term target is to reduce the annual average loss from about 37 percent down to roughly 32 percent by the end of the calendar year; longer-term goals discussed were to reduce loss toward typical system averages of 10–15 percent.
On the splash pad, staff said the facility is set up with timers and push-button controls so it will not run continuously. Staff compared estimated informal household use (for example, many families letting children play with hoses or sprinklers for hours) with the controlled splash pad operation and said the splash pad could use similar or less water while giving a supervised recreation option. The splash pad will be subject to runtime controls and can be limited if water-production constraints require curtailment during drought or system stress.
Staff also provided a winter-weather and deicer update, and a projected splash pad ribbon-cutting date around May 4 was discussed; staff noted the splash pad typically operates Memorial Day through Labor Day but could open earlier if weather permits.
Council asked for follow-up reporting as the meter verifications and leak-detection work progress.
