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Morgan County water board reports 4.5 million‑gallon loss, approves $12,500 pull‑behind generator and tables quick‑connects
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Summary
Board members were told a March tank overflow and leaks led to about 4.5 million gallons lost; the board approved buying a $12,500 pull‑behind generator for emergency pumping, discussed a Gateway loan second draw and a $42,901.59 penalty, and tabled quick‑connect installations for further review.
The Morgan County water board was told on Monday that a tank overflow and a series of leaks drove March water loss to about 56 percent, which staff said included roughly 4.5 million gallons lost when a tank ran continuously because telemetry failed.
The clerk reporting the numbers said, "We lost over point 5,000,000 gallons of water out of it," attributing the primary cause to an overflow that continued while telemetry and automatic cutoffs were inoperative. Board members said rural‑water crews later found a separate service‑line leak that was leaking about 30 gallons per minute and other distribution leaks.
The disclosure came alongside an update on the district’s finances tied to a Gateway loan. Staff said the district is expecting a second draw of $500,000 and listed immediate liabilities to be paid from that money, including a Gateway invoice of $60,266.89 and an outstanding credit‑card balance the clerk estimated at $238,067.15. A board member added that a penalty charge of $42,901.59 will also be deducted from the loan’s second draw. "The penalty on that...will come out of the second draw is $42,901.59," a board member said during the budget discussion.
Amid the finance update, the board discussed operational fixes to reduce future water loss. Staff warned that the district’s current meters and sensors are discontinued and that replacement gaskets and rebuild parts are scarce; staff said they ordered 15 gaskets as a temporary measure while evaluating meter replacement or upgrades.
On emergency preparedness, the board voted to buy a pull‑behind generator that staff described as capable of powering two pump stations while stationary backup options are pursued. The chair called the motion; it was seconded and approved by voice vote. The approved purchase price noted in the meeting was $12,500.
Quick‑connect installations — a separate item that would allow crews to plug a portable generator directly into pump‑station connections — were discussed but not approved. The board moved and voted to table installation of quick‑connects at the Dittney Ridge pump station until staff returns with more information and cost estimates.
During the public‑comment period, a resident identified as Caitlin urged the board to accelerate water‑extension work and to pursue multiple funding avenues beyond Gateway, including state programs and KIA, saying a six‑to‑ten‑year wait for connection on Bethel Chapel Road was unacceptable. "Without county water, it's putting our lives on hold," Caitlin said, and asked the board to help coordinate engineers and funding discussions so several nearby households could be combined into a viable project.
Board members and staff agreed to follow up: staff offered to arrange meetings with Gateway and to have engineers draw alternative project options and cost estimates that could be submitted for PSC review and funding consideration. The meeting closed after brief questions about placing public water points at fire stations and prior vandalism at earlier water‑station installations.
