SUD Addresses Water Loss and Water Pressure Issues

Reviews Survey Results
by Leslie Lyle, Messenger Staff Writer
“Unaccounted-for water loss has been creeping up since we flushed hydrants last month,” Sewanee Utility District (SUD) Manager Ben Beavers said, pointing to an ongoing concern at the April 26 meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Sewanee Utility District of Franklin and Marion Counties.
In addition to discussing strategies for reducing unaccounted-for water loss, Beavers updated the board on SUD’s progress in tracking down and remedying the cause of low water pressure in the Midway community. University of the South student Emie Oliver provided the board with an overview of the water issues survey conducted in conjunction with her Senior Capstone research (see Water Issues Survey).
Unaccounted-for water loss is the difference between water produced at the plant and water passing through customer meters, meaning SUD is not paid for the water. Explaining the increase in unaccounted water loss for March, Beavers said, “Following the hydrant flushing, many of the hydrants didn’t seal properly, as the seals were old. We identified 13 hydrants out of 160 that are leaking, and there may be more.” Beavers has contracted for refurbishing of the faulty hydrants.
SUD also recently installed a zone meter in Midway to track spikes in water use that may indicate leaks. Zone meters have already been installed in other areas of the district. SUD identified a 20-gallon-per-minute leak in Jump Off, but is having difficulty finding the leak because the service line is so long there.
Revisiting the failure of the St. Andrew’s-Sewanee water tank to fill to capacity, Beavers said remedying the problem will increase water pressure in Midway by 6–8 pounds per square inch. “For the system to function properly,” Beavers said, “the farm tank and SAS tank need to reach overflow capacity and fill at the same time.” Due to an increase in size of sections of service line from six inches to eight inches over the course of the years, the farm tank now reaches capacity first and the SAS tank never fills completely.
“I sent the problem to the engineers for review,” Beavers said. “It’s important for Midway customers to have the same service as the rest of the district, but I want to resolve the issue with the water tank before we proceed with the booster station solution to increase pressure in Midway.”
Updating the board on plans to refurbish sewer lines in Abbo’s Alley, Beavers said the contractor LTS Construction will begin work as soon as the students leave campus, and the job should be completed by mid-June, before summer programs begin. “One thousand feet of line needs to be replaced,” Beavers said.
The board approved the application of Cooley’s Rift developer Brian Youngblood for service to 66 lots during the course of the next three years.
“We have the quantity of water needed to serve the project,” Beavers said. “The developer will be responsible for securing all easements and doing the engineering needed to bring the line up to our specifications.”
SUD will meet at 5 p.m., Friday, May 17, a week earlier than usual. The office is located at 150 Sherwood Road.