Council reviews water projects, bids and operational concerns including proposed hydrant-flushing rule

At a council meeting, officials reviewed multiple water-system items including a completed financial evaluation, upcoming construction bids and operational rules that could change how hydrant flushing is handled.

The chair said DPC completed a financial health evaluation of the town's water program and will present the final study at 10 a.m. the following day. He told the board the council will consider accepting a low construction bid of $927,000 at the May 5 meeting and asked the town manager be authorized to sign the agreement if approved.

The report also noted a separate loan/grant application submitted April 13 for interior erosion rehabilitation of a lamination tank; the chair described the cost estimate as "probably gonna be between 400 to 500,000" and said the Department of Public Health grant is first-come, first-served.

Council members discussed regulatory and operational pressures. The chair raised concerns about a proposed DEEP regulation that would require hydrant flushes to be routed into sewer lines rather than discharged to the roadside. He said this would create practical problems where sewer manholes are not available and could increase sewer charges for otherwise clean flush water; hearings on the matter were listed as June 1 and June 8. "It's gonna be very like, it's a contentious theory," he said.

Operational items included the town's annual hydrant flushing schedule (April 20–May 20). The chair described a recent maintenance incident on Fall Rock Road in which corroded bolts on a hydrant top required replacement and said the town purchased stainless-steel bolts to address the issue. "We're flushing from April 20 to May 20," the chair said.

The council also reviewed customer outreach about unknown lead and copper service lines. Officials said they sent a third mailing that included a $20 billing credit as an incentive; the outreach generated about 54 responses and most returned confirmations of copper service. The chair described the incentive as an experiment to improve response rates.

Staff reported on backflow testing obligations for secondary irrigation meters, noting five-year testing cycles and that most customers arrange and pay for the testing. The chair said staff capacity to perform those tests in-house is limited.

A separate operational issue flagged by the chair involved meter readings: preliminary figures showed the Baxter Avenue meter recorded substantially more flow than purchases from the town's supplier, and staff said the data will be reviewed further.

The council discussed budgeting and financing matters tied to water operations, and the chair noted that the town has previously approved bond counsel (the transcript records an approval "for $400").

The meeting moved to executive session on planning and legal strategy; those executive-session outcomes are the subject of a separate formal motion and vote.