LCUB ponders $75k water meter upgrade

Courtney Such -farragutpress.com-Lenoir City Utilities Board plans to replace existing water meters with new, leak detecting meters. In order to make these improvements, LCUB must sign a $75,000 contract with Johnson Patrols to begin in-depth evaluations to see exactly how the water system can best improve.

The agreement with Johnson Controls allows them to perform a detailed engineering analysis of LCUB’s water system by evaluating its water meters and noting the amount that need replaced. This evaluation will continue through August, when the number of needed replacements is concrete, as well as when the check made to Johnson Patrols needs signed.

LCUB general manager Shannon Littleton said replacing meters and going through with a leak detection program will “aid in LCUB potential water loss and be more efficient.”“Bare in mind the discussion we’re going to have tonight is very preliminary in nature,” Littleton said Monday night, May 13, cushioning the $75,000 check request.

First Utilities District replaced the majority of its water meters during a two-year project in 2008-09. Unlike LCUB, FUD did not go through any type of evaluation process.

“We made a customer improvement decision,” Wayne Watson, FUD general manager, said.

Watson went on to say, “LCUB has some water loss. FUD has some water loss, but we don’t feel like the inaccurate meters are contributing to these problems. Ours weren’t inaccurate; we just wanted to improve customer service. Now we have meters that we feel have 100 percent accuracy.”