Fontana addressing town-wide water leaks
Fontana Dam – Jason Duke is steering the ship in the right direction. After joining the town as the new water operator, Duke has jumped right into the role with both feet, making a big splash by instituting operational checklists, taking concise inventory and, most importantly, putting plans in motion to repair lingering water leaks across the township.
At the Feb. 17 council meeting, Duke gave a lengthy report on the progress made toward correcting the numerous leaks, from ruptured water heaters and burst pipes under 13 different rental cabins, to bigger losses that have been coming from the town’s intermediate water tank. He reflected on the water plant’s lower intake since the intermediate leak was fixed last month.
“Sixteen days in January, we pulled in 4.76 million (gallons of water) and put out 3.44 million; 16 days in February, we pulled in 4.35 and put out 3.05,” Duke said. “We were losing anywhere between 25,000-50,000 gallons a day, but now we’ve went from 15-hour days to 12 ½-hour days.
“(Before) that plant could be non-operational for 10 hours. That’s it; then you had to be back in there before you were in the red (in violation of state guidelines). This helps us quite a bit. We’re moving in the right direction.”
The intermediate tank has a capacity of 20,000 gallons, so the loss was roughly two times the capacity before the leak was plugged. Combined with the efforts of tightening fittings around the village’s cabins, another major obstacle still remains: the village’s two pools, which both have leaks that require heavy maintenance to correct.
Mayor Rob Hardy said the town’s busy season begins next month, as Fontana Village Resort & Marina sees a major influx in visitation between March and October each year.
“The pool leaks still scare me. That’s the bottom line,” Duke said.
“It’s tough to troubleshoot a pool. You can’t just say, ‘Pools leak,’ “ Hardy added.
Other news and notes from the meeting included:
* Town Administrator Zelerie Rogers gave the financial report, announcing that the Fontana Dam’s on-hand balance is $178,239. She added that three recent events forced the need for budget amendments: $700 out of worker’s compensation; $300 for dues and subscriptions, which goes to dues for the N.C. League of Municipalities; $133 for property and liability to cover the cost of town vehicle insurance; and $1,900 for professional services, events and functions. The council unanimously approved all amendments.
* The council completed its yearly evaluation of Rogers, which included a bump in salary to $42,000 a year. “Everybody appreciates the job that you’re doing,” Hardy told her. “We’re happy that you’ve kept the ship moving forward.”