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Sigurd officials hear plan to add booster pump and replace valve after chlorination failures
Summary
A Kelly Chapel representative told the Sigurd Town Council on May 21 that installing a booster pump and replacing a troublesome pilot valve with an electronically actuated altitude-control valve would restore reliable chlorine dosing and allow the new tank to feed older tanks, avoiding wasteful chlorination of overflow water. The contractor Barnes is ready to do exterior piping work; council members asked staff to confirm piping, SCADA alarms and timing before work proceeds.
Mayor Kelly Halvey opened the May 21 meeting and invited a Kelly Chapel representative to brief the council on recent water-system troubles and proposed repairs. The water representative described frequent interruptions of gas-chlorine draw and a large pressure differential across a pilot ("clay") valve that prevents the system's venturi from drawing chlorine reliably.
The representative said the technical fix would be to install a small booster pump on a 1-inch bypass and replace the existing pilot valve with an electronically actuated altitude-control valve, which would open at a set tank level and allow the venturi to function. "There's a pressure loss... like 40 PSI," the speaker said, characterizing the head loss as "a lot" and noting Rocky Mountain Valve had inspected the unit but problems persist. The plan would reroute spring water into the new tank, then through the chlorinator to the older tanks, so chlorination occurs only when water actually enters the system rather than being lost to overflow.
Council members asked whether the altitude valve would operate through the town's SCADA system and raised recurring alarms that have prevented staff from reliably monitoring chlorine flow. The representative said the valve can be controlled by SCADA but that SCADA itself "sends some alarms" and requires follow-up; a hydraulically operated backup valve was discussed if SCADA control is not usable. The contractor Barnes (also referenced as Bartons in discussion) said exterior piping parts are in and that it can complete most exterior work; the presenter said Barnes' exterior work costs would be covered by the party coordinating the work, while the two components tied to the chlorinator (the booster pump and the altitude-control valve) require separate pricing and likely need town funding.
Council asked staff to confirm lead times for the booster pump and valve, coordinate a date when water supervisor Mike will be available, and involve town SCADA technician Tyler to ensure alarms and control logic are correct. The representative and council emphasized the goal of avoiding any lengthy water outages during the work; the presenter said the tank should balance short interruptions and that any planned cutoffs would be communicated to residents in advance.
There was no formal roll-call vote on the technical work; council members gave consensus direction to move forward with contractor coordination and return with final cost estimates for the chlorinator components and associated electrical/SCADA work.
The council also asked staff to confirm whether the contractor had already staged materials and to ensure supervisor Mike or a town representative is available when installers arrive. If costs for the booster pump and valve are required from the town, council asked staff to return with bids and a financing recommendation.
