County staff seek credits for two Beards Cove customers and approval to replace failed pump

County water utility staff asked the commission to approve leak‑credit adjustments for two Beards Cove customers and to authorize procurement of a replacement pump at the Beards Cove water facility.

Per Mason County Code 13.34, a customer may request a leak credit for significant leaks; staff said any leak over 10,000 cubic feet requires board review and the county allows one credit every three years. Staff presented account summaries for two customers:

- Account 308072: Average usage ~300 cubic feet per month; spikes of about 1,400 cubic feet in January and 7,600 cubic feet in February after which the customer promptly repaired a faulty toilet. Staff requested an $851.50 credit plus applicable late fees.

- Account 306041: Average usage ~600 cubic feet per month; a May leak of about 13,500 cubic feet and a June usage of about 17,200 cubic feet for a combined 29,500 cubic feet; customer paid a plumber about $1,000 to repair the leak. Staff requested a $1,169.50 credit.

Staff also reported that pump No. 3 at Beards Cove is not functional and recommended procurement of a replacement pump to ensure redundancy (pump 4 meets current needs but a second working pump is necessary to avoid service interruption if pump 4 fails). Staff said budgeted reserves and tiered rate revenues should cover the purchase; no formal purchase motion was recorded during the briefing.

Commissioners discussed the credit policy limits, confirmation procedures for customer requests and threshold levels for staff review; staff said credits above the 10,000‑cubic‑foot threshold come to the board for review.