Fontana Dam – A local municipality hopes to finally put the kibosh on heavy overturn at its water plant.
The Town of Fontana Dam appointed Carrie Stewart as its new ORC (operator-in-responsible charge) in an unanimous council vote at its April 20 meeting.
Stewart has spent the last five years working exclusively for the Town of Robbinsville at its Long Creek water treatment plant. Fontana Dam has been without an official ORC since the dismissal of Jason Duke last summer.
“We’re very excited,” Mayor Rob Hardy said of Stewart’s appointment. “It’s a new day here in Fontana; we’re looking forward to big things.”
Duke resigned as a council member amid legal troubles July 21. The town initially retained Duke as the ORC after he stepped down from the board, but ultimately dismissed him shortly thereafter.
Stewart will officially begin as Fontana ORC on Tuesday.
Other news and notes
* Welcome aboard: The council both accepted the resignation of Jon Hodgson, as well as introduced Luis Geraldo as a prospect to fill the void. Geraldo will be officially sworn in at the May 18 meeting.
* Jet stream: The council discussed a $6,000 price tag to rent a jetter, which should help both clean out the water lines throughout the Fontana Village Resort, as well as identify possible spots of water loss. Cumming, Ga.-based Jetter Depot provided the quote for the month-long rental, with the council agreeing to discuss the option further at its next meeting.
* Power source: At a cost of $27,172.65, the town now has a generator at its intermediary tank, which acts as a connection for water pumped from its plant to the town itself. The generator is nine years old and has 7,129 hours already logged, but was crucial to ensure a source of water is always available for residents and guests.