Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 115, No. 22	May 28, 2008

State agency mandates Meade County Water District to compile usage data

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

The Meade County Water District is enforcing a state mandate, which if not followed could cost taxpayers.

Water District General Manager Joe Bartley said the ruling was recently passed onto them by the state Public Service Commission.

The ruling states “any city, county, urban-district, charter county, fire protection district or volunteer fire protection district may withdraw water from the utility’s water distribution system for the purposes of fighting fires or training firefighters at no charge on the condition it maintains estimates of the amount of water used for fire protection and training and reports the amount used to the utility no later than the 15th day of the following month.”

Bartley said the district has always allowed fire departments to use the flush hydrants situated around the county to fill tankers, a process that will continue, but the reports are now mandated.

“The PSC has put some teeth into this if they aren’t provided,” Bartley said.

According to the PSC regulation, any unit failing to provide the data will pay the cost of the water, plus a penalty.

The minimum fee which would be charged the departments is $210, Bartley said, plus the $200 PSC fine. The rule states if the user disagrees with this fee, they can present evidence of the actual usage, which could adjust the fee accordingly.

In order to make the reporting less onerous for department personnel, Bartley attended a recent county fire chief’s meeting and presented each department with postage-paid postcards to assist in the reporting process.

The first set is due June 15, Bartley said, and one department, Payneville, already has submitted information.

Bartley said even the Muldraugh Fire Department has to complete the cards, only they need to send them to Fort Knox, as that is where they get their water from.

“I have given 12 (postcards) to each of the departments,” Bartley said, adding this has been an issue which has arisen throughout the commonwealth.

“We just need to have this documentation so when we get the PSC inspector we don’t look at him with a blank stare on our face when he asks for our water usage reports,” Bartley said.

“It could also help us,” he continued, adding he has added a place for comments on the cards.

“If they see a flush hydrant damaged or otherwise not working they can add those to the comment line and return it to us,” he said.

In other business, members discussed the possibility of a special work session to precede the board’s June meeting.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. to discuss phase nine improvements. Several members feel this phase will tie several of the district’s “loose ends” together.

In other business, members:

• Learned Bartley is working to set up a meeting between himself and Brandenburg City Mayor David Pace to discuss the district’s water contract. The contract needs to be completed to allow for improvements in the county’s western part to proceed, Bartley said, adding he stressed to Pace this matter was of utmost concern.

• Learned the waterline could be completed along Rabbit Run Road shortly, allowing crews to focus their attention on Knotts Road.

The Knotts Road extension is about three-tenths of a mile, Bartley said, adding the total contract has to be completed within 120 days. He predicted, even with the amount of rock along the latter stretch, contractors would finish well before the deadline.

Following this project’s completion, no in-house projects are scheduled, Bartley said, but they are awaiting residential signatures.

Those include Fred Fackler and Whipporwill roads, which have several signatures to acquire, and Midway/Payneville Road, which needs two signatures.

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