Mantua council approves up to $20,000 for permanent sewer flow meter to resolve billing dispute with Brigham City

Mantua’s council voted to purchase and install a permanent sewer flow‑meter and pedestal—not to exceed $20,000—to monitor and reconcile sewer flows reported to Brigham City.

Staff and contractors explained the system would use an ultrasonic sensor with radio telemetry and integrate with the town’s SCADA setup; presenters noted the system can be programmed to collect and retain multi‑year histories and can be isolated to measure flows from specific directions. A portable meter option (about $7,500) is already available for short‑term investigation; the permanent installation includes additional site work and a pedestal.

Council members emphasized the financial rationale: Speaker 6 said the town has faced large monthly overage charges and estimated that, at the rates discussed, the meter could pay for itself in two to three months if overcharges continued. Staff said the device would help find leaks and allow the town to compare its meter to Brigham City’s readings. The presenter noted some maintenance and vendor‑support constraints tied to SCADA systems and mentioned Campbell Scientific as the platform family used by nearby systems.

After discussion about budget coverage and whether the purchase had been previously budgeted, Speaker 6 moved to approve the purchase from Golden Spike and Rocky Mountain vendors, not to exceed $20,000; Speaker 2 seconded and the motion passed by voice vote.

The transcript records the decision and the council’s direction to proceed; the record does not include a roll‑call tally or a contract award document in the meeting minutes.