A wide array of water related issues was again discussed during another lengthy meeting of Albany City Council held last Tuesday, August 4 at City Hall. Five of six council members were on hand for the one hour and twenty minute regular meeting.

Issues ranged from the ongoing water problems in the Duvall Valley and Bald Rock areas, including the grant that has been approved to fix those problems.

Other issues included other water projects, grants to be applied for, the need for upgrades to the water treatment plant, as well as the burden that hauling water to customers in eastern Clinton County is putting on the local fire department.

Although the $3 million grant from a federal mines and minerals fund, a 100 percent grant, will soon be in hand, city officials and David Bowles of Monarch Engineers both put a time line of completion for that project alone to late summer of 2021.

Albany Mayor Lyle Pierce told the residents in attendance it would be six to eight months before actual work would begin.

Councilwoman Tonya Thrasher did say she and others had been working hard on obtaining the grant, which came from Washington, D.C., not Frankfort, and was more beneficial to the city. The funds should be secured within three weeks (of last week’s council meeting.)

Bowles noted that with any federal monies, there is a process that has to be adhered to that takes time, including doing the design for the project, and the bidding process. He estimated construction could start by next spring and be complete by the end of next summer.

The bids will be advertised both locally and in statewide and other publications, he added.

The design will apparently call for eight-inch lines, to replace the four and six inch lines now in place and also calls for a 500,000 gallon water tank, with the location of the tank to be determined during the design phase.

The most drastic times for no water or low pressure in the aforementioned areas is during the summer, when numerous poultry houses require more water, leaving many residents without water at all on many occasions, it was noted.

Kenneth Delk, a long-time official with the Albany Water Department, said of the news of the grant, in specific the Duvall Valley and Bald Rock areas, “We are farther along than we have been in a long time.”

A couple of the residents from the most affected areas, Benjamin Bullock and Tom Duvall, asked several questions of both the council members and the engineer during the discussion.

It was noted that all residents in the area are still under a “boil water advisory” until further notice for safety precautions and Delk said testing was done every two weeks on the water.

It was explained that about 15 houses were on one of the lines that has been experiencing continued low water problems.

Delk also asked the council if credit was going to be given to residents for the time they had to go without water.

Mayor Pierce said that bills could be adjusted on a monthly basis.

Bullock complained that each time he had contacted the water department, he kept “getting the run around.”

The residents said they are now having to haul water for bathing, cleaning, and other necessities while still paying a monthly water bill at the same rate. This places a burden on residents, especially elderly people who may be ill.

One resident also asked that once the upgrades are complete, “Are we still going to have the same problems?” to which Bowles replied, “We know partly the problem is the number of poultry houses…but it is our goal that everyone has water,” noting the current lines are large enough to handle the water being pumped to the area.

Delk said the eight-inch line would carry the water and the pump station in south Albany was capable of driving the water to the tank.

Other than the $3 million grant already secured for the Duvall Valley/Bald Rock project, Bowles also presented the council with a project list, including future projects and estimates of cost, most of which would require matching funds, or those that the city would have to sell bonds to repay.

Also, it was noted that to be in line for the grants, the city could have to prove they could repay the debt, meaning simply that water rates would have to increases, possibly at high levels, over time.

Bowles said it would take about 30 years to pay back the grant funds if received and still included in some of the grants the city could apply for are water lines along the 127 Bypass, and water plant upgrades and a much needed meter replacement program.

Some of the existing meters in the city and county are up to 40 years old. Most cities have a meter replacement plan in place to change out meters every few years.

Councilman Tony Delk again questioned the apparent loss the city has been facing for apparently some time, saying there was up to a 40 percent loss of water, which is costing the city money.

Both Bowles and Kenneth Delk noted they have seen no signs of a major leak in the system, saying if there was, water would be completely out in some areas of the city.

Councilman Delk, however, said that with a 40 percent loss in water and people in Duvall Valley and Bald Rock still without water, something had to be done to recoup losses in the water department.

Bowles did note there definitely was a problem somewhere, citing a revenue vs. expense review, which showed the water department lost about $97,000 during calendar year 2019.

He indicated that studies showed the only way the city could fix the problems, both with revenue and paying for much needed projects to keep the water system and treatment and water plants operating, is to raise rates.

He said the city could increase rates by 15 percent now and 10 percent in another three years, or a one time 25 percent increase to cover the costs. But he also added, by 2023, the city would probably be looking at replacing the water plant, which he said was about a $15 million project. “A rate increase would almost have to be constant,” he said.

Councilman Delk said that the water department is one area of the city that “should be making money,” not losing money.

Albany Volunteer Fire Department Chief Robert Roeper then addressed the council pertaining to the department’s volunteers hauling water to fill the existing tanks in the Duvall Valley area.

Roeper said the fire department delivered 56 loads in July and already 15 just through the first four days of August.

The fire chief said the firemen were “volunteers” doing what they can to help their community and take time out of their own day. The department gets $62.50 per load and each fireman (two to a truck) receives $20 per load each and the department runs two trucks at a time.

The council thanked the fire department for their support in hauling the water to the areas that were out of water much of the time during the summer months.

Roeper does have some major concerns, however, telling the council that he is afraid the fire trucks are “not going to hold up,” and they might lose some of them.

He estimated the cost of a new fire truck may be upwards of $80,000.

He also said some of his firemen were getting weary, noting a fire department’s primary duty was not to haul water, but to fight fires.

“We need to replace a tanker truck and let the city have a truck to haul their own water,” he said at one point during the discussion.

Mayor Pierce asked the fire chief to collect a list of repairs needed, including replacing tires on one truck, and present them at the next council meeting.

Following the long discussion on water and water plant related issues, with no actual votes being taken, the council did take up one other item of business prior to adjourning.

On a motion by councilman Reed Sloan, seconded by councilwoman Rene York, the council approved amending an ordinance imposing an annual/per diem license tax on certain businesses: Subsection AI amending demonstration (permit fee) from $25 to $2,500.00.

Mayor Pierce noted prior to the call for a motion that during the July demonstration held in Albany, the city police department, street and fire departments were all utilized throughout the event, which was a cost to the city.

Councilman Delk also thanked everyone, including the city employees, for their diligence and work during that event that was held on the courthouse square on July 11.

The next regular meeting of Albany City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8, at 5 p.m. at City Hall.