Oliver Springs water board hears update on leaks, projects and plans for new meter towers

The Oliver Springs water board received a detailed operations update on July 16, focusing on ongoing leaks, a recent sewer overflow, capital projects and plans to extend automated meter reading (AMR) coverage.

An agency official reported distribution-system water loss near the mid-40 percent range in portions of the system (Laurel area ~44%), and said the utility has seen “a lot of leaks coming in the past two weeks,” attributing the increase to heavy, short-duration rainfall that has shifted the ground and caused service tubing failures. The official told the board that state-required water-plant reports for June have been submitted and that the sewer plant has no regulatory violations, though the collection system experienced an overflow after an intense localized storm that dropped roughly seven inches of rain in a short period north of Scott.

Board members and staff discussed both contracted and in-house work. Staff reported a completed 10-inch CDPG waterline to Richard Drive/Porter Street and said materials are staged for the 2026 ARC project—a 6-inch PVC installation on Rome Street—though start dates have been delayed by recent rain. In-house crews have been patching cuts on Airport Road and plan to work on Strutt Street; staff also described an in-house project to install 2-inch water and sewer services on Willow Springs Road to connect a customer to a nearby 6-inch force main.

On AMR coverage, staff said one collector site recently went out of service and that technicians plan wholesale replacement of failing panels; antennas have been ordered. Two proposed tower sites were described (a sewer pump station on Midway and a private residence on Mahoney, where the resident granted permission). Staff estimated that covering the Dutch Valley area fully would require two additional towers at roughly $23,000 per tower, and said small pockets of meters could be read manually until funding or sites are secured.

The board also reviewed training and reporting matters: staff noted updated continuing-education requirements for utility-board members (an initial year requirement followed by reduced continuing hours) and said the town will count certain budget workshops toward those training hours. Members asked about tools to locate leaks; staff described acoustic detection equipment that can prioritize the worst leaks for repair.

The meeting closed the item after brief member updates and follow-up assignments on Rogers Group scheduling and pavement/repair priorities. Staff said it will continue to pursue antenna installation, complete planned repairs, and provide updates to the board.