Consultant flags multiple supply and control-valve problems; recommends targeted inspections and repairs

An engineering consultant told the City Council workshop that the city’s water-supply challenges are concentrated on the western (upper‑hill/lower‑hill) side of the system and that a combination of a non‑operational pump station, complex control valves at the Pierce tank, and aging wells are driving operational strain.

Andy Visalia, engineer with Jacob & Martin, said the combined supply from the eastern (Muskegee) side generally meets demand, but “the western side is where you’ve been struggling.” He highlighted three specific problems:

1) Upper-lower pump station configuration. Visalia said the pump station that sits between the upper-hill and lower-hill tanks “has not been operating since 2010,” and on inspection the piping appears “mirrored,” which causes the station to recirculate rather than pump correctly. He recommended exposing the buried piping so engineers and staff can confirm the as-built connections and then make targeted reconnections or repairs. Visalia said excavation and inspection could be done by city crews and would likely take “a couple days” to uncover and assess; if the hypothesis is correct, field reconnection of air/piping might remedy the problem without full station replacement. He estimated a modest repair scenario could be on the order of “probably $100,000 or more” if contracting is required, while a more extensive replacement would be much costlier.

2) Pierce tank control valves and settings. The consultant said the Pierce tank (northwest part of the system) has not been able to be filled since about 2020 and that the facility’s complex control valves (pressure‑reducing/sustaining/solenoid combined units) are likely misconfigured or overdue for professional maintenance. Visalia recommended bringing a ClayVal (manufacturer) representative on site to evaluate and correct valve settings; he explained that these are not simple gate valves and that mis‑settings can throw the system into unstable operation.

3) System leaks, well usage, and asset management. Visalia reviewed well run‑time data and noted several wells were historically run near or at full capacity during peak months, increasing failure risk. He recommended the city implement an asset‑management approach to plan pump and well maintenance and to time well redevelopment. He said the city has a test well that was drilled previously and could be developed but that the consultant did not have current cost or pump‑capacity figures ready at the workshop.

Visalia urged a stepped approach: (a) get city staff or contractor eyes on the pump station piping to confirm the mirrored‑connection hypothesis; (b) have a ClayVal representative or similarly qualified contractor service and re‑set the Pierce tank control valves; and (c) continue well‑development planning to add resilient supply if inspections show the quick fixes are insufficient.

Councilmembers and staff discussed scheduling excavation and prioritized doing it at the end of a meter-read cycle to avoid interference with other city operations. Staff said the city’s backhoe is available and that they could coordinate a field visit with the consultant when schedules align.

Ending: The council did not approve new funding at the workshop but directed staff to schedule the inspection/excavation, coordinate a ClayVal valve review, and return with cost estimates and a work schedule.