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WPCA hears staffing and operations update: collections exceed $4M in arrears, pilot tests planned for taste and odor issues
Summary
Staff told the WPCA that delinquent receivables top about $4 million (including a hospital account), that collections of roughly $118,080 were recorded for November–April, and that efforts to reduce estimated billing and to pilot taste and odor treatments will proceed this summer alongside multiple water and sewer infrastructure projects.
During staff reports the board was briefed on billing, collections and a slate of operations projects.
Staff said the department has reduced the number of estimated monthly accounts significantly by increasing meter reads and outreach; about 80 additional customers previously on estimated billing were moved to actual monthly reads in the last month. "We're going to change continue to change meter...we reduced the number from the quarterly from 386 to 306 right now," staff explained.
On collections, staff recited monthly collection totals covering November through April that sum to roughly $118,080 and said they planned to forward about 100 accounts to collections enforcement processes. "Right now, we're currently owed over $4,000,000," a staff member said, noting the total includes a large hospital account; staff said they are consulting finance and the city attorney on enforcement and payment‑plan options.
Operational work under way includes pilot testing to address taste and odor at the reservoir (planned pilot in July using hydrogen peroxide and additional testing), lead service line outreach that reduced the remaining target list to roughly 298 properties, and SCADA and computer upgrades (quotes requested from Emerson). Infrastructure projects discussed included a near‑complete Red Road pump station (generator pending, online expected in July), Mill Street and Russell Street bridge/utility work, and several water main replacement projects slated to begin this summer.
What happens next: staff will continue pilot testing, pursue collection strategies with finance and legal counsel, return with Metro Square calculations, and bring project updates to future meetings.
