Water & Sewer Committee

Sammy Rich, City Manager John Boyd, Director WATER AND SEWER DIVISION Customer Service Department Bryan Parris, Director Operations Department Brandon M. Cook, Director Water Reclamation Facilities Jeff Hill, Director Water Treatment Facilities Wayne Stanley, Director WATER AND SEWER COMMITTEE MEETING City Hall, 601 Broad Street, Sam King Room Thursday, October 3, 2024 9:00 AM PRESENT: Chairperson Mayor Pro Tem Jim Bojo Commissioner Bill Collins (excused) Commissioner Randy Quick Commissioner Wayne Robinson Mr. Sammy Rich, City Manager Mrs. Merideth Ulmer, Assistant City Manager Mr. John Boyd, Division Director Mr. Bryan Parris, Customer Service Director Mr. Jeff Hill, Water Reclamation Facilities Director Mr. Jeff Pope, Assistant Water Treatment Facilities Director Mr. Doug Walker, Public Information Officer VISITORS: David Crowder, WRGA News Multiple citizens CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Jim Bojo welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order. He also announced that Commissioner Collins was being excused from the meeting and that Commissioner Robinson would be sitting in for him for this meeting. REVIEW OF THE MINUTES The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the September 5 meeting. No corrections or additions were made, and the minutes were approved. FINANCIAL REPORT Mr. Boyd reported that operating revenues for the year at the end of August were $3.1 million below last year, which was of course due to the rate reductions at the end of 2023. But again, the increase in interest income and an additional settlement payment offsets that reduction. Boyd reported expenses were in line with 2023 which were $14.5 million, and we are currently at $14.7 million. OLD BUSINESS none NEW BUSINESS Lead and Copper Rule Mr. Boyd reported the EPA lead and copper rule (LCR) goes into effect October of this year. He explained the division partnered with 120Water in the past to meet the current LCR and that we have chosen to partner with them for the new LCR which requires more information faster and to prepare additional reports for regulators. He stated the new requirements included collecting data for city and customer service line type, location service type, and to identify high risk population such as elementary schools and daycares for all service connections, saying most of this data was collected at the time the water meters were replaced during our AMI meter change out project but the division did have to collect this data for about 6,000 locations that were either changed before we were aware of the new rules or were not changed during the change out program and that we would also have to continue to collect this data for all new water connections. He added that the EPD also chose 120Water to administer the overall LCR platform for the state. So, we think we made a very wise choice partnering with them. Boyd reported we have no lead services and no unknown service types. But unfortunately, we do have about 1,500 galvanized service lines and because we cannot prove it was never downstream of a lead service, we will have to send out letters to those customers informing them of the galvanized lines. We will replace these galvanized lines and have ten years to do so. We will also inform customers of the galvanized lines to educate them and provide them with resources where they might get some funding to help with the replacement of their galvanized lines. Capital Request for 2025 Mr. Boyd presented the division’s capital request for 2025 saying that Mrs. Rhinehart asked him to remined them these were requests which would be reviewed by herself and Mr. Rich. He pointed out that aside from the new water treatment plant the requests were in line with previous years. Mr. Boyd and department directors briefly discussed the major line items for each department including new and replacement equipment as well as funds for repairs or replacement of internal components of the departments such as pumps and motors, reporting many of them were just place holders in the event of an emergency and most would not be used unless it was absolutely Minutes prepared by: Bryan Parris, Customer Service Director Water and Sewer Committee/ Commission Minutes, October 3, 2024 Page 2 of 3 necessary, especially for the Water Treatment Facility and finally some items were also roll overs from the current year which could not be completed. The capital request also included ongoing annual projects such as water and sewer infrastructure replacement, AMI, SCADA, rate studies, and tank maintenance. Mr. Boyd stated that of course the big-ticket item will be the new RO plant, of which $50 million will be budgeted for the next several years until completion. Mr. Boyd also stated the Burwell project could not be postponed any longer, reminding the committee we had to reject bids a couple of years ago and would have to be spread out over a couple of years. In conclusion, Mr. Boyd reported the bottom line for next year, $73 million and would probably be about the same for 2026 with 2028 and 2029 slightly lower but if you take away the $50 million budgeted for the RO plant, we are within a couple of thousand dollars of the current budget. Mr. Rich added that we would likely discuss the Shannon sewer project, highway 140 back into Rome, at the next caucus meeting. OTHER None Adjourn There being no further business to discuss the meeting was adjourned. Respectfully submitted. John Boyd, Director Rome Water and Sewer Division Minutes prepared by: Bryan Parris, Customer Service Director Water and Sewer Committee/ Commission Minutes, October 3, 2024 Page 3 of 3