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South Zanesville water division reports major leaks, meters not reading; upgrades may need engineering and Ohio EPA approval
Summary
The water superintendent reported three major leaks fixed, saving about 70,000 gallons per day, and said some meters are not reading, causing estimated billing. Staff noted upgrades require engineering and Ohio EPA approval and that higher capacity can reduce grant eligibility.
Danny Wiseman, reporting for the water division, told council that staff found and repaired three major water leaks in January 2025 and estimated the fixes saved roughly 70,000 gallons of water per day. He also reported problems with some water meters not reading correctly, which caused the utility to bill customers using estimates rather than actual meter reads for the prior 12 months.
Councilor Paul Lowe and others questioned whether the village is installing meters that provide accurate reads; Rob Guentter cautioned that pursuing grant funding for pump-station or meter upgrades requires completed engineering and approval from the Ohio EPA, and that increasing system capacity can affect grant eligibility.
Why it matters: leaks at this scale affect system reliability and operating costs; inaccurate metering can lead to billing disputes and lost revenue. Grant funding can reduce local costs but usually requires engineering studies and regulatory sign-off before funds are awarded.
Next steps: staff indicated further engineering/design work is needed before applying for grants and will pursue meter-read accuracy to reduce estimated billing.
