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Garfield council approves $13,845 in meter endpoint replacements as water loss tops 13%
Summary
The Garfield City Council on Aug. 13 approved a $13,845 purchase of replacement meter endpoints to address a reported 13.53% unaccounted-for water loss; council members also heard an update on a wholesale rate increase and infrastructure planning for a tank expansion and pressure-reducing valve.
The Garfield City Council on Aug. 13 approved spending $13,845 from the city’s 1/2% sales tax fund to buy replacement meter endpoints intended to address a reported 13.53% unaccounted-for water loss.
Mayor Gary Blackburn reported the loss figure during the council’s water department update and said the city repaired a recent service-line leak on Main Street. Chris Gillis of Fenix explained that several existing endpoints had failed and recommended replacements; Council Member Kitterman moved to buy the new endpoints, Council Member Smead seconded, and the motion carried with Council Members Smead, Rambo, Teeselink and Kitterman all voting yes.
The council also heard several related water updates. Blackburn said he requested Communities Unlimited update the city’s last water rate analysis (from 2021) to 2025. He told the council the Benton, Washington and Rogers Public Water Authority (BWRPWA) will increase its wholesale rate from $3.20 to $3.45 per 1,000 gallons effective Jan. 1, 2025, a change that could affect Garfield’s retail rates.
Engineering work on a proposed water-tank expansion is under review in Little Rock, Blackburn said, and Water Distribution Operator Duncan Artt is coordinating with engineers on plans to construct a vault and install a pressure-reducing valve on Mountain Drive to improve distribution control.
No vote was recorded on rate changes during the meeting; Blackburn said the updated rate analysis from Communities Unlimited is on the agency’s schedule. The council did not set a public hearing or adoption date for any retail rate adjustment during this session.
