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Cornish updates water project, orders more testing after prior positive samples
Summary
Council heard that phase 1 of the town’s pitcher well is scheduled for start-up next Thursday, the state has asked for an electrical shutoff arrangement at a primary well, and the town will run preliminary water tests and consider Bear River’s $250/year resampling service before sending state-required samples.
Council members were briefed on several water-system items: project start-up for the new pitcher well, ongoing filtration planning for phase 2, a state requirement for an electrical shutoff at the Gan Sheff well, and new sampling procedures to reduce the risk of false-positive bacteriological results.
Mayor (unnamed in the transcript) told the council DWA and Horrocks are scheduled to be on site next Thursday at 10 a.m. to start up the pitcher well for phase 1. “That should be ready to go next Thursday,” the mayor said, and added the town will not put that water into the system before confirming proper operation and any necessary waste-handling during initial startup.
On state oversight, the mayor said auditors asked why the town had no generator-shutoff arrangement for the Gan Sheff well. The council has solicited multiple bids to install a shutoff for generator operation but has experienced supply delays; staff is reissuing one bid to address long lead times. The mayor said the state accepted the town's explanation about parts delays for the moment but asked for updates.
Water-quality testing was another substantive item. Council members described recent mixed bacteriological results: after a prior episode that produced a positive, council members arranged to have Clayton and others take preliminary, non-state “inquiry” samples before submitting formal state samples. The mayor reported Bear River offered a resampling/responder service at about $250 per year that would include returning to resample if required. One council member explained the plan: run internal preliminary samples, chlorinate again if a positive appears, then conduct the state-required sampling.
Why it matters: phase 1 startup and compliance steps affect when new water sources can be placed into service; the generator-shutoff requirement and reliable testing reduce operational risk and ensure the town satisfies state loan and public-health expectations.
What’s next: the council will monitor the scheduled startup, seek at least a third electrician bid to install the generator shutoff device, and await preliminary test results from samples Clayton pulled before deciding whether to chlorinate and take state samples. The discussion began with earlier water-bond and utility-finance numbers reported during the meeting and is summarized from the transcript (notably SEG 343–SEG 1510).
