Walker aldermen approves water repairs

Nevada Daily Mail

The Walker Board of Aldermen approved spending for upgrades on fire hydrants, water valves and water meters.

Monday night, William Jeffery, Walker's water operator and city maintenance worker said the city needed to spend around $2,800 to fix a fire hydrant that no longer works on Marvin and Seventh Street.

Among its many issues, Jeffery said the hydrant's water-shutoff valve no long works. This means he cannot shut water off while fixing the hydrant, which has suffered "old age and needs new brass inserts."

"We can't work on a hydrant with being able to shut down the water," Jeffery said. "To fix the issues, we have to shut off the water."

There are kits to help with hydrant up-keep, but after new lead rules were created, the brass kits are not allowed to have any lead if it is going into the ground, Jeffery said. These kits cost about $1,700, he said.

While there are two other hydrants in Walker unable to turn off, the board decided to fix the hydrant that completely does not work before finding money to operate on hydrants unable to shut off. The board approved the $2,800 on the hydrant, 5-0.

The board of Aldermen also approved future payments of six water meters at $268.81 each, a total of $1612.86.

"These meters are supposed to help us read how much water is being used by houses and business'," Jeffery said. "The ones we have now are leaking and not working."

Jeffery told the Board of Aldermen he planted two pumps around Walker leading to the water tower. The pumps will help improve the water pressure.

Mayor Phillip Martin said, "Two pumps are fine, but three is better," when asking the board to approve an additional pump being added to the water line. He and Jeffery agreed another pump would help the water pressure.

Jeffery said he also replaced water-shutoffs, allowing maintenance workers to work on the water pipes without affecting the entire town. Instead, Jeffery said just the pipe he is working om will be shut off as to "not interrupt the city's flow."

Martin said with the approval of the spending, the walker budget is still in "the black," and Walker should make up the deficit in a few months by selling water.

The board also approved a date to set tax rates. The meeting to set tax rates will be on Thursday, Aug 27 at 6 p.m. Martin did not discuss numbers at the meeting, but he did say, "Let me assure you, we do what the state mandates."