City reports pressure limitations in Burton Tank zone; operations and targeted upgrades expected to add capacity

Georgetown — Georgetown Municipal Water & Sewer staff briefed the City Council on Aug. 11 about pressure and service limits in the Burton Tank pressure zone in northwest Scott County and described near-term operational fixes, intermediate capital projects and longer-term supply planning.

Chase (utilities staff) told the council that the Burton elevated storage tank holds approximately 500,000 gallons and that portions of the distribution network in northwest Scott County were constructed in the late 1990s and early 2000s with 2- to 12-inch mains sized for domestic service. As demand has increased, portions of that network have shown falling pressure, bringing some locations close to the 20 PSI regulatory minimum for potable water service.

Staff said the city has already been testing operational changes that do not require capital expense — adjusting booster-pump station operation (Long Lick booster), tank fill/drain scheduling and similar measures — and reported immediate improvements in some neighborhoods (examples cited: locations that were near 20 PSI have increased to roughly 40 PSI after operational adjustments). Utilities staff said those no-cost operational changes could…