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Morgan County water board flags large February purchase and reports high water loss; auditor meeting, phase-two planning discussed
Summary
At a June meeting the Morgan County Water District reviewed finances, explained a $179,331.70 figure for February purchased water as a catch-up payment, and heard a preliminary estimate of about 27% total water loss pending vendor reconciliation; the board also discussed phase-two line-extension planning and scheduling an auditor presentation.
The Morgan County Water District board spent much of its June meeting reviewing finances after members flagged an unusually large February line item for purchased water.
A staff presenter said the report shows a $179,331.70 entry for February purchased water that includes prior charges paid in that month, making the February line look unusually high. The presenter said the ledger combines invoices and payments across months and that some figures reflect catch-up payments from the previous administration rather than water actually purchased in February.
Board members asked staff to reconcile the vendor invoices so monthly usage and payments are clearer. Staff also said they were awaiting detailed billing information from Cave Run and other vendors to finish a water-loss report.
"Last month is a 27% complete total water loss," a staff member reported as a preliminary figure; she added the final number will be lower than 30% once vendor data are reconciled and she has the final consumption totals. The board did not adopt any new policy based on that preliminary figure; staff said they will return with a completed water-loss analysis when the vendor-supplied numbers arrive.
Members also discussed workforce and operations metrics, including a work-order report that showed uneven distribution of assignments among employees and routine items such as meter checks, cut-offs and installs. Staff said some reports lag one month because invoices and payments are processed on different schedules, and the board asked for clearer line-item reporting to separate prior balances from current monthly usage.
On broader planning, board members described efforts to gather lists of candidate roads from magistrates for "phase two" of water-line extensions and said engineers will need to conduct cost analyses before adding specific roads to the project. Members emphasized feasibility concerns—long runs to reach few customers often make projects uneconomical—so the board will ask engineers for cost-and-feasibility studies before committing funds.
The board also discussed scheduling the district auditor to present findings. Staff said they will continue trying to set a date with Ashton Powers and will coordinate with the county judge's office to place the item on an appropriate agenda within the next two to three months.
The meeting closed with routine reminders about account balances and upcoming payments; staff reported the water revenue account at roughly $64,416 and the credit-card account at about $125,467, with an insurance payment of about $44,303 due before August 1 that will reduce the latter balance.
