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Clarkdale highlights water wins: regional hosting, new grants and meter program reporting more than 3 million gallons saved
Summary
Town Manager Susan Guthrie told the council the town hosted regional meetings, secured a change in CDBG distribution increasing expected grants, warned that a federal shutdown has paused about $1 million in reimbursements, and reported that a WIFFA-funded cellular meter-replacement program (about half installed) has led to roughly 74 contacts and an estimated savings of more than 3 million gallons so far.
Town Manager Susan Guthrie gave a consolidated update Oct. 28 on Clarkdale’s recent water and grant activity, including regional hosting duties, new grant timing, federal reimbursement delays and early results from a meter-replacement program.
Guthrie said Clarkdale hosted NIKOG and NACOG regional meetings and a legislative tour that showcased the town’s water campus, noting strong local staff and business participation. She reported the town secured a change to Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) distribution that will increase Clarkdale’s award frequency to every three years, with expected amounts "about $300,000" when the scheduled cycle begins in 2026 and the city will hold public hearings to prioritize projects.
Guthrie also warned the council that the federal government shutdown has halted processing of reimbursements on federal grants. "We currently have two federal grants that we're administering ... about a million dollars of expenses that are waiting for reimbursement," she said, and the EPA told the town it will not process reimbursements until the shutdown ends. The town said it planned contingencies in the budget to manage short-term impacts.
On the water-meter program, Guthrie said a WIFFA grant of $564,000 funded replacement of aging meters with cellular-enabled units that generate alerts to staff and, optionally, to residents through an app. Staff reported about 74 contacts tied to the new alerts and estimated potential savings of more than 3 million gallons so far; roughly half of the town’s meters remain to be installed. "We're seeing that kind of water savings only halfway through implementation of this program," Guthrie said.
Councilors and staff noted the importance of the meter alerts, outreach to residents when an alert occurs and combining external grants with local funds to advance projects. The council received the report as part of the town-manager updates; no formal council action on these items occurred at the Oct. 28 meeting.
