Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves Red Bud Street waterline work and phased meter electronics replacement
Summary
Council approved a $69,518.62 waterline replacement on Red Bud Street and a $122,100 program to replace MIU electronics and batteries on 1,100 of the system's oldest meters (installed in 2017); staff said the system has about 9,000 meters and warranties on early units are expiring.
The Marion City Council approved two water-department capital items: a budgeted waterline replacement project on Red Bud Street for $69,518.62 and a $122,100 program to replace MIU electronics and batteries on 1,100 of the city's oldest remote-read meters.
Brent, speaking for the water department, explained the Red Bud Street line had experienced breaks and that the department could perform the work internally to save money. For the meter program, staff said the city had first installed remote meters in 2017, that early electronics and batteries are now reaching the end of warranty, and that batching replacements (1,100 units this round) avoids replacing many units on short notice. Brent said the overall system includes roughly 9,000 meters and that the plan is to revisit replacements annually as warranties on early units expire.
Council members asked technical questions about failure modes and warranty replacements; staff noted past premature battery failures were covered under warranty but that improved electronics and batteries should extend lifespans. Both items were described as budgeted or covered by a mix of existing operating budgets and capital replacement funds, and both passed by roll call.
Staff will schedule the Red Bud Street work and the first round of electronics replacements; the council did not announce additional contingency funding beyond the budgeted allocations.
