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Montgomery board approves water audit PSA but rejects immediate filter-media replacement at lime-softening plant
Summary
Trustees approved a professional services agreement for an annual water audit and system improvement plan as the village shifts to Lake Michigan water, but rejected a proposed PSA to replace lime-softening filter media (estimated ~$193,000), with trustees citing low turbidity readings and the upcoming 2032 supply transition.
The Village of Montgomery board voted Monday to hire a consultant to perform the village's annual water audit and help maintain a system improvement plan tied to Lake Michigan allocation requirements, but trustees declined a separate professional services agreement to immediately replace filter media at the village's lime-softening treatment plant.
Director Wolf told the board the water-audit PSA (recommended to continue with EEI) supports the village's transition to Lake Michigan water and helps demonstrate compliance with IDNR expectations for non-revenue water loss and system improvement planning. Staff recommended approval because EEI is familiar with the village system. The board approved the PSA by roll call.
On a related capital item, Wolf presented a proposal to replace the media in four filters at the lime-softening plant. He said the media were replaced in 2012 and industry guidance puts useful life at 15'20 years. "The material was replaced in 2012, and the suggested life cycle of the materials [is] anywhere from 15 to 20 years," Wolf said. The budgeted amount mentioned in the discussion was about $193,000.
Several trustees and an engineer urged caution. One trustee noted the previous media lasted 22 years and that current filter effluent turbidity reads around 0.01 NTU, an indicator the filters are still performing well. The trustee argued a reactive approach could defer the $193,000 expense until closer to the village's planned Lake Michigan transition in 2032.
Board members also discussed contingency options if a filter failed before the transition. Director Wolf said the village could isolate an individual filter and use alternate plants or wells during repairs, and that the deep wells would remain as emergency backup (chlorinated but without full treatment) after the Lake Michigan transition.
Trustee Youngerman moved to authorize the PSA to proceed; when the board took roll call the trustees voted in the negative (Youngerman, Prizasca, Geier, Baumann, Marisak voted "No"), effectively rejecting the PSA to move the media replacement forward at this time.
The board's decision leaves the media replacement as a deferred capital item; staff said they could return with bidding information or a more targeted replacement plan if the filters show future degradation or if a large new water user changes plant operating assumptions.
Next steps: staff will continue monitoring filter performance, maintain backup well readiness and report back if conditions change or if a contractor bid requires board action.
