Saltville council hears March water report showing 53% of pumped water unaccounted for; committee outlines plant and well upgrades

The Town of Saltville reviewed a March water and sewer report Tuesday that shows 17,238,716 gallons were pumped but only 8,067,974 gallons were accounted for, leaving 9,170,742 gallons—about 53.2%—unaccounted for, the report prepared by Gary L. Johnson of EMS, Inc., states.

The figure drew attention from council members and staff because it implies a large volume of water loss or metering/accounting discrepancies. The report itemized water sold to town customers (3,079,163 gallons) and sales to neighboring jurisdictions, but the unexplained difference remained the central takeaway.

Why it matters: such a high proportion of unaccounted water can indicate leaks, meter inaccuracies, unauthorized use, or recording errors; each has operational and budgetary implications for the town’s water system and its obligations to funding agencies.

Council reviewed a set of recommendations from the Water & Sewer Committee intended to address mechanical and security vulnerabilities at the sewer plant and well sites. The committee recommended setting aside $50,000 per year for four years to replace the sludge press; installing a trench drain and replacing unsafe grating at the sewer plant; checking grant availability to upgrade the Head Works; replacing the roof at the Caldwell Town Well; keeping a spare pump for the Cardwell Well; installing water meters and security cameras at well sites; and acquiring a spare booster pump at Buckeye No. 10.

Public Works Director Brandon Frye described recent field work that may be related to the report’s accounting: crews repaired several water service leaks (including one losing an estimated 10,000 gallons per day), replaced a broken line that caused an outage for Edgewood, Midway and Pleasant Heights on Easter Sunday, and installed a gate valve intended to speed future isolation and repairs. Frye said smoke testing of sewer lines will begin in the coming months to locate inflow and infiltration points.

Town Manager Cecile Rosenbaum said staff and the council have engaged Crossroads Engineering and other contractors to move forward with meter replacement and pump station projects, but she cautioned supply‑chain delays could push schedules. Rosenbaum told the council she expects a draft budget for council review in early May and noted Rural Development requirements may require modest water and sewer rate adjustments to meet grant conditions.

Next steps: the council has the committee’s written list of priorities and budget considerations; staff said they will pursue available grants and prioritize immediate safety and reliability fixes (generators, spare pumps, security cameras) while continuing diagnostic work to reduce unaccounted losses.