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Lumberport officials report major water loss, ask for county support on repairs and O&M
Summary
Lumberport officials told the Harrison County Commission they have experienced more than 2,000,000 gallons lost (about 50% loss), are pursuing an interconnection and an operation-and-maintenance agreement with Nutter Fort, and may use up to $100,000 in ARPA funds to begin repairs.
Town officials from Lumberport briefed the Harrison County Commission on Dec. 18 about a prolonged water-loss problem, steps to restore reliable service and requests for county assistance.
Lumberport’s representative reported that, "as of 2 weeks ago, it was over 2,000,000 gallons," and that percentage loss was "about 50%" (Speaker 6). Commissioners and staff discussed options including an enlarged interconnection with a nearby public service district identified in the transcript as "hexaval PSD," an operation-and-maintenance agreement with the Town of Nutter Fort to help find and repair leaks, and potential use of up to $100,000 in ARPA funds to start work.
Why it matters: A high rate of unaccounted-for water can strain a small municipality’s finances, reduce supply reliability for residents and businesses, and require regional cooperation for repairs and funding. Commissioners signaled willingness to help identify funding but stressed that distribution-system leaks must be addressed before relying on purchased water.
Details from the briefing: Lumberport credited neighboring jurisdictions and agencies for emergency backup water and operational help during recent main-line breaks. Speaker 6 said the Phase 1 billing and account audit is complete and corrected bills would be mailed the day of the meeting to improve revenue accuracy. Thrasher (engineering) completed hydraulic modeling and identified interconnection with the enlarged "hexaval PSD" as the most feasible alternative, the town said.
Commission questions and county response: Commissioners pressed whether the water losses were primarily main-line or distribution-line leaks and whether the town could correct them before new purchased water flows begin. Lumberport officials said they were working with Nutter Fort’s public works and that multiple major leaks required more manpower and funding than the town could afford on its own.
Next steps: Lumberport and county staff will pursue an operation-and-maintenance agreement, explore state or commission assistance (including potential Public Service Commission involvement), and identify funding sources for leak detection and repairs. The town expressed an immediate need for targeted funding to support repairs and staff training; the town said it may use up to $100,000 in ARPA funds as a contribution toward that effort.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the Lumberport update during the meeting.
