Public Works flags water telemetry and hydrant needs, plus route and office upgrades

Public Works staff told the board that several operational items require capital attention in the next budget cycle. Staff said the town’s existing telemetry/SCADA radio boards are discontinued, spare parts are dwindling, and a phased migration to a cellular-based monitoring system is necessary; a major overhaul of water monitoring hardware across wells and tanks was estimated in discussion at roughly $600,000 for a comprehensive solution.

Hydrant condition work was presented as an ongoing maintenance CIP: staff identified approximately a set of hydrants with mechanical issues or broken stems that either had been bagged (out of service) or need replacement; replacement unit costs were discussed in the thousands per hydrant. Public Works also described concerns about brittle AC piping in a main corridor and presented a multi‑year water transmission replacement concept with planning and easement work required.

Operational asks included a proposed office expansion at the public-works facility to accommodate cross-training and additional supervisors and a small dump trailer and ATV-like equipment to improve collection and maintenance operations in tight areas. Staff said growing development has increased collection demands and that route mapping and staffing modeling are underway.

Why it matters: The telemetry and hydrant issues represent both service‑reliability and public‑safety concerns that will require multi-year CIP funding. Staff recommended staging the hardware replacement to manage costs and preserve service continuity.

Ending: Public Works will provide updated cost estimates and phasing plans as part of the capital package for the April/May work sessions.