Melissa McClendon
A phantom water meter has cost Locust Grove Public Schools over $2,000. Recently it was discovered the school was being charged for meter No. 276, a meter that does not exist. The issue was brought to the board’s attention during the regular monthly meeting of the Locust Grove Public Works Authority meeting.
The town has been charging the school since 1999 and since that time has overcharged the district $2,200. Jim Choate, PWA Super-
intendent discovered a discrepancy and upon investigation discovered there was no meter. City attorney John Crockett requested the PWA board table the issue until he could look into the issue.
“I’d like to see a copy of those water bills,” Crocket said.
The board also tabled action on PWA workers
leaving to respond to fire calls, restoring a water tower on the northeast side of town and the surplus of equipment.
In other PWA business:
• Setting a water meter for MS Concrete was approved. The fee for setting a meter was set at $2,000 for a two inch tap.
• The water plant will get two new chemical feed pumps. The board approved the purchase not to exceed $1,000 from Brenntag. The same company was also added to the blanket purchase order list for $5,000.
• Wynn Construction is repairing a water filter at a cost of $22,000. The money will come from water and sewer improvements an account that has dwindled down to an account balance of around $57,900.
• The board set a
special meeting to assign an Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality grant to an engineering firm.
• Choate gave a PWA report to the board. He said one of the water treatment tanks was cleaned recently and 12 feet of mud was removed.
“It hadn’t been cleaned in years,” Choate told the board.
The water plant got a new meter to help determine how much water is being used. A tower company inspected an empty water tower located east of Highway 82 and the Pirate Arena. Choate hopes to get the tower up and running after some maintenance work is completed.
“I hope to have it operating in three weeks,” Choate said.
He reported the PWA is running test on the new coagulant. The chemical costs more but the plant is using half of the mat-erial it used in the past.
The department is still addressing leaks but overall the town has not been losing water.
“I want to thank you that our water is on,” said Mayor Vickie Herr. That’s a huge plus for us.”
Choate also said the PWA has a grant to buy new valves. He’d like to see the first valves be installed in areas where there are fire hydrants that need maintenance and repair with valves in front of them. By addressing those hydrants it will help the fire department and maintain the safety of the citizens.
