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LANDIS — For months town officials have been trying to solve the case of missing water.
The town’s water filtration plant has been processing more and more water, now averaging about a million gallons a day.
Billing records show the town has been selling less and less water.
Aldermen began scratching their heads during recent budget sessions. While the sale of water was down, the cost of producing water was up. Instead of making money, the town’s water operation was going in the hole.
Mayor Fred Steen and other officials spent many hours poring over billing records for the past several months. There were no apparent mistakes in the billing.
Did the town’s water lines have some really big holes?
Perhaps squirrels from a nearby town had developed a taste for Landis water.
Or were thieves out there, illicitly filling swimming pools?
Finally, town officials brought in experts from Leak Meter Testing Inc. to check water meters for the largest users.
They quickly found lots of problems.
Among the recipients of the free water has been the town of China Grove.
Town Clerk Bob Wood said the test revealed that the primary meter measuring the flow of water to China Grove was off by 20 percent.
Monthly sales to China Grove have been ranging from 3 million to 6 million gallons.
On high flow months, Wood estimates that China Grove has been getting an extra million gallons at no charge.
And the town has been doing its bit to help the Rowan-Salisbury Schools, providing hundreds of thousands of gallons of water for cooking, drinking and cleaning — at no cost.
Two meters at Parkdale Mills were found defective. One had stopped measuring water altogether.
How much water has the town given away?
No one is sure of exactly how much. It would likely total millions of gallons over several months.
The problem with the high usage meters apparently developed during the past fiscal year ending June 30. Prior to that, the production and billing had matched.
Is the give away over?
Town officials say it’s probably continuing on a smaller scale.
Wood advised aldermen Monday evening that some of the town’s residential water meters are more than 30 years old.
How long does a water meter last?
“Basically they start slowing down when they’re put in use,” said Wood.
Aldermen agreed to have a dozen residential meters pulled at random and tested.
Wood wondered what good testing will do if the town doesn’t plan to replace them.
Mayor Fred Steen and aldermen agreed the town probably should start changing meters, installing the new style electronic devices than can be read by a wand.
Currently all meters owned by the town, electric and water, are read visually.
Asked about cost, Wood said a consultant recommended replacing the meters several years ago. Wood said the figures showed the new meters would pay for themselves in two years — in accurate water sales as well as the time employees will save not taking monthly readings.
Wood recommended replacing meters “one book at a time,” a book being meters in the same area.
The town has between 1,200 and 1,300 water customers. Wood estimated about half of the meters have been replaced and would require new registers, at about $50 each, that can be read by wand.
Most of the other meters, which are 20 to 30 years old, would cost about $90 each for the entire unit.
The town also had several electric meters checked and found similar problems.
Board members agreed Monday to have periodic checks of meters to avoid future electric or water give-aways.
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