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Residents tell council to address water taste, billing spikes and oversight
Summary
Multiple residents urged the council to investigate recurring taste-and-odor events, unexplained billing spikes and the accountability of the water board and consultants; commenters asked the council to publish water-board materials and consider stronger oversight of the water company.
Several Georgetown residents used the public-comment period to press the council on water quality, billing anomalies and governance of the water utility.
Bill Abernathy told the council he is “concerned about water quality” and asked for a transparent plan to eliminate recurring bad taste and odor. He also raised unexplained spikes on some customers’ bills and said, “a transparent review and appeals process needs to be in place,” suggesting a citizen review board to handle disputed bills. Abernathy also alleged a closed water-board meeting on Oct. 7 and asked the council to demand information about what was discussed.
Dan Holman and Kendrick Bacon echoed those concerns. Holman noted the planned revenue bonds related to the wastewater treatment plant and called for more direct city-council oversight of the water company, asking the council to make water-board meeting packets available online. Kendrick Bacon said engineering mistakes had led to large added costs and claimed “there were 2 major engineering mistakes that cost Georgetown residents $50,000,000,” urging legal and grant-based remedies and hardship assistance for affected residents.
Utility staff and council members acknowledged the complaints and committed to follow-up. Chase, a representative of Georgetown Municipal Water & Sewer Services, later used the official presentation to explain the causes of seasonal taste-and-odor problems (algae blooms affecting Royal Spring) and to outline planned treatment pilots and meter upgrades. Several council members thanked residents for raising issues and asked staff to continue posting information and providing periodic updates.
Next steps: Council and utility staff said they will continue outreach, post materials online and pursue the technical and financial measures (carbon treatment pilots, AMI meters, grants and legal avenues) discussed later in the meeting.
