An eight inch line was installed connecting to
Haleyville’s water service with the capacity of eight million to
10 million gallons of water supplied to Lynn per month in the peak
season, with seven to eight million gallons supplied in the off season,
officials said.
“The volume of water and pressure we were
getting from our supply from Haleyville is adequate enough to supply
our customers’ needs, and fire protection,” Cagle noted.
“These tanks operate on different
pressures,” added Tucker. “Both of these tanks are designed
to stay full. They will not drop and will not dump water out of there
unless the pressure in the system gets below what we have the pressure
set on these master meters.”
Two master meters coming from Haleyville are set
on 70 lbs. and maintain 70 lbs of pressure within the lines at all
times, officials explained. “We have to set it up so high to
maintain everybody’s water pressure,” said Tucker.
That setting keeps the water tanks full of water.
The tank, for instance, on West Main Street, will not open and
release water in its storage unless the town’s water system drops
below 70 lbs. of pressure in the lines.
“That is something that rarely happens
unless we have a major leak,” the mayor stressed. “The
problem that causes is we’re sitting there with water in those
tanks that never moves which if it is released back into the system,
the contaminant levels are high, because we have no way to treat
it.”
It was noted the town of Lynn is facing a
pre-warning from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management
which imposes fines based on water contaminant levels. “We want
to make sure that we are going to be in compliance. Right now, we feel
those tanks will take us out of compliance,” the mayor said.
“They are not circulating enough water. We are isolating those
contaminants from our system.”
It was noted stagnant water has a higher risk of
bacteria.
“That was the primary reason those tanks
were taken out of service. At this point, we don’t see
spending $70,000 for two tanks,” Cagle said. “They are
functioning the way they were designed to function, but they are not
functioning with the new system...when they are not complimenting our
current system.
“The tanks are not serving a function for us
right now,” the mayor continued.
Town officials stress they are not abandoning the
water tanks but they are being temporarily taken out of service. If
town officials see an increase in growth and the water demand increases
to where more water should be released, the water tanks will be put
back into service--only after they are refurbished, they said.
Plans are within the next two years to empty the
water from the tanks, repaint both the inside and outside of the tanks,
sandblast and clean, according to town officials.
Taking the water tanks out of service will not
affect the county wide industrial park which is being formed in the
Lynn area. Mayor Cagle noted that would call for a complete upgrade of
the town’s water system and would be on a separate master meter
from the town’s supply.
The Winston County Cooperative Improvement
District is looking toward grant money available for infrastructure,
water, etc. pertaining to the industrial park. “These tanks being
out of service will not affect that over there,” Cagle said.
The town of Lynn currently purchases about 10
million gallons per month averaging $16,000 a month, or $1.46 per 1,000
gallons. Lynn then sells water to Eldridge and Nauvoo, with
Nauvoo paying the town $1.70 for 1,000 gallons or $6,000 to $7,000 a
month. Eldridge pays Lynn about $1,933 per month for their water
supply.
