GRAVETTE — Gravette City Council members spent much of their Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday evening discussing problems with the electronic water meter-reading system.

Representatives from Master-Meter, a Texas firm which has been involved in repairing or replacing the devices, indicated they will work with the city in an attempt to discover the cause of the electronic malfunctions.

“The meters register properly,” said Larry Buffer, water/sewer employee, “but the electronics will not function properly.” This requires the hand reading of the meters, a method the electronic system was supposed to eliminate.

The city initially installed the electronic system seven years ago and, with the addition of the water west project, more than 1,300 meters are involved.

Cory Reardon and Buffer displayed a stack of documents involving meter repair/replacement problems for more than 1,500 of the devices. Some meters have had to be “repaired” two or more times.

Buffer said when a meter is sent for repair, it goes to Israel where the meters originate and the turnaround time is often longer than a month.

The cost to repair an individual meter is $58.50, the council was told.

Sewer Project Update

In other business, the council heard from Joe Tarvin, EGIS engineer who is working with the city to solve the wastewater treatment facility problem. Thecity has been under administrative order to upgrade or replace the current facility to meet EPA phosphorus and nitrate discharge limits.

Tarvin said the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality has indicated the city will receive a five-year permit to operate the present facility. However the city must continue working toward an approved solution to meet the abovementioned requirements.

Gravette’s system, for several years, had been discharging effluent about every three months. Discharge is now done on a daily basis as the system, which went into operation in the early 1980s, was designed to do.

Buffer noted that sampling tests taken during the past few months the system has beendischarging daily meet standards which are far below those required. “We’re knocking the bottom out of it,” he declared.

How the facility functions, particularly during the upcoming winter months, will be a critical test as to what future steps must be taken to garner state approval.

If the system continues to work as hoped, the result could possibly save the city several million dollars. An amount of up to $5-$6 million has been estimated as potential cost for improvements and/or replacement.

Tarvin also reported he is working with the city on the Rocky Dell/Ridge Road waterline upgrade. This involves replacing a twoinch main with a six-inch main, extending it to about 3,500 feet to a point where, in the future, a loop to the south could connect with existing lines on Highway 72 east.

News, Pages 1 on 07/20/2011