Trustees discuss telemetry, delinquent meter readings and staffing as water system strains grow

Ballston Spa trustees spent substantial meeting time on water‑system concerns: telemetry, delinquent meter readings and staffing needs. The chair said the village reassigned Pete Staszak to focus on water operations and testing and reported more than 60 accounts with three or more missed readings; the board discussed enforcement options, including letters and shutoffs, while noting public‑health rules limit shutoffs in some cases.

A resident asked whether the cellular communication itself was capable for telemetry. The chair answered: “Telemetry. We have an issue with our T Mobile system currently, that's in place, the technology there. And, what it allows us to do is monitor levels and control, levels accordingly via that so that, if there's issues, we can get alarms back, etcetera.” Trustees reported cases of intentional misreporting and one account with an estimated $13,000 overage tied to about 1.5 million gallons of leakage or misreporting; the chair said he imposed a moratorium limiting aggressive pursuit to about 10 accounts at a time while staff reorganize processes and consult legal counsel about enforcement authority and privacy limits.

Trustees agreed to consider stronger notices, a possible button for remote reads, and legal guidance about access rights and shutoffs for properties outside village districts. The board asked staff to return with options and said they will coordinate with the village attorney on next steps.