Walker aldermen approve patching water system

Walker mayor Phillip Martin discusses Walker Fun Days during the Walker Board of Aldermen meeting Monday. Photos by Gloria Tucker/Daily Mail

Nevada Daily Mail

The Walker Board of Aldermen approved patches to the continuing problem of the town's aging water system at its meeting Monday.

"A pump burned up on the high service line," Mayor Phillip Martin said. "It's going to cost $1,644 to replace. A control valve (which shuts off high service pumps when the clear well has no water) needs to be installed. We're talking about $3,644."

Alderman Louis McGraw, far left, gives her input on Walker Fun Days at the Walker Board of Aldermen meeting Monday. Aldermen Pam Scholes, Norman Radde and Deb Hartline listen.

The aldermen approved the purchases, and discussed the issues with the chlorination room.

"We have two chlorination heads," maintenance employee William Jeffry said. "One head is cracked, and the other head hasn't been serviced in a long time. We had a leak in there awhile back, and those new scales we just put in are completely ate up."

Jeffry suggested looking at an alternative option to gas chlorination, either tablets or liquid bleach.

"I don't like the idea of liquid bleach," he said. "The tablets are safer than the gas chlorination, and you don't have to worry about it leaking out. To put in a whole new system costs between $3,000 and $5,000, but you eliminate the need for scales, a fan, special door handles and a mask."

Martin told Jeffry to get bids on a chlorine tablet system and to test and replace faulty sensors on the high service equipment. He added he would ask the Rural Water Association to run an analysis of Walker's water rates to see if they are adequate.

In his report, Martin said the town is booked for an audit.

"The cost estimate is $5,000," he said. "We have not had an audit for eight years, more like nine. It will be awhile until the auditors come."

In other business, Martin asked the aldermen's opinion on having a fall clean up day during the dog clinic in September. The aldermen agreed to the idea, noting participation seemed low last year. He also asked for their thoughts on continuing Walker Fun Days.

"If you take that out of here, that's the only time this town gets together to do anything," Jeffry said.

The aldermen agreed to continue the one-day festival, Sept. 20, this year as an experiment.

They also approved renewing membership with Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission, bids for fuel and propane and looking into fixing the community center's security camera system.

In other business, Martin asked clerk Linda Longstreth to provide balances of the towns accounts at the meetings and to separate the water and sewer fund.

Alderman Norman Radde said he was continuing to work with the railroad to have ditches cleaned, and the aldermen and mayor thanked him for replacing the windows on the community center.