Huntsville council approves funding for water telemetry and bypass equipment

The Huntsville Town Council on Dec. 4 approved two purchases intended to reduce water loss and improve emergency response for the town’s culinary water system: up to $5,000 for telemetry equipment and up to $10,000 for bypass equipment.

Muntsville Culinary Water Board Chair Ron Gault told the council that the town’s frequency of leaks had gone down after recent repairs but that several large repairs remain and a planned pipe replacement on 1800 S. will require better remote monitoring and emergency bypass capability. He said the town is preparing an RFP for the 1800 S. replacement and that Sunrise Engineering is assisting with the state lead-and-copper survey. "He was pleased to be able to get the equipment for just $5,000," the minutes record, referring to the telemetry quote secured by Gault.

The council approved the telemetry funding by a roll‑call vote (4–0) and later approved the bypass equipment funding (4–0). The meeting record includes vendor pricing details: a Frontier Precision invoice for telemetry hardware and on‑site configuration totaling $3,885.34, and a Core & Main bid for stainless‑steel spools and fittings totaling $9,793.01. Councilmembers said the lower telemetry price helped make the purchase feasible compared with a previously mentioned $31,000 quote.

Council members said the telemetry and bypass work are meant to reduce unmetered loss, speed repairs, and provide safer operations during winter months. The purchases will allow staff and volunteers to receive remote level and flow data and to operate a temporary bypass in emergency conditions; the in‑plant bypass modification had been designed and ordered, according to the water report. The council did not attach additional conditions beyond approving the purchase amounts.