Leitchfield — David Rufe, who introduced himself as the city’s new utilities staff member, briefed the council on recent progress reducing water loss after hiring a contractor to survey the system.

Rufe told the council crews located and repaired roughly 39–42 underground leaks identified in a water‑loss survey; he said 42 leaks have been fixed so far. He reported the system’s unaccounted‑for water was reduced from about 56 percent to about 25 percent (figures given in the presentation), and said the system’s flow rate had fallen from approximately 685 gallons per minute in January to about 268.5 gallons per minute by August.

Why it matters: Reducing water loss can preserve treated supply, reduce operational costs and delay or eliminate the need for costly supply or treatment investments. Rufe credited field crews for the repairs and asked residents or councilmembers to report leaks so staff can respond quickly.

Ending: Rufe asked residents to contact the utilities office for issues and said his office is available 24/7.