Clear water upgrade finalized for Walker

Nevada Daily Mail

Missouri's Department of Natural Resources and the Walker Board of Aldermen finalized the agreement for a clear well upgrade on the town's water, Monday night.

The project, which will cost a maximum of $100,000, was authorized by the Department of Natural resources.

Walker is responsible for paying all of the expenses.

The upgrade, explained by DNR representative, Kristie Watts, will treat the water with chlorine.

Chlorine, a common water disinfectant, is added to public water supplies to kill disease-causing pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses that can grow in water supply reservoirs. Occasionally they can grow on the walls of water mains and in the water's storage tanks.

Walker Mayor Phillip Martin said, "The old water tank was obsolete, and we wanted to take care of any issues of this kind before anything bad happens."

In order to make payments for this, Walker will pay bi-annually, once in January and again in July. The first payment will be $708, and the principle payment, in July will cost $4,923 -- $623 of the principle payment will come from an estimated 1.3 percent interest rate on money loaned from the DNR.

"The money we will be using to pay back the loan will be (with money from) the water we sell -- from the water bill," said William Jeffery, the water operator for Walker.

Martin said he is putting $610 a month into a special savings account to help the town pay for the Clear Water Project's cost.

The board of aldermen also accepted three bids.

The town will pay $1.10 per gallon of propane from MFA. They will also get gasoline at 8 cents per gallon over the price at time of delivery from MFA.

Midwest Fertilizer earned the bid for diesel fuel at a price of 10 cents per gallon over the price of delivery.