District plans $30,000 meter purchase and nears completion of SCADA programming

District staff told board members the district plans to buy water meters and is finalizing SCADA system programming that will allow remote monitoring of tank and flow levels.

A staff update said the district requested roughly $30,000 to purchase meters to install for each user. A staff member reported a vendor offer: if the district pays by the end of the month, the vendor will provide six months of accounting services free; staff described that as a per-unit reporting value of about $5 per unit for roughly 100 units. "Brandon told me that if we pay that by the end of the month, they'll give us 6 months free," one board member said during the meeting. Board members indicated they would pursue the vendor discount.

On system controls, staff reported the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system is up and being programmed. Staff said once programming is complete they will be able to control pumps and view tank levels from the shop, laptop and cellphone, and that the system will send alarms when tank levels are abnormal. Staff estimated programming should be finished within about a week, pending arrival of a few parts.

Staff also described a temporary diversion installed to keep contaminated spring water out of the district supply and to route that water into a pond, noting the diverted flow "has nothing to do with the spring" used for the system but is intended to keep supply water clean. Board members discussed an unregistered lot that appears to be receiving district water and asked staff to confirm the property owner and register the connection. One board member said the district needs to "figure out that lock number" so the new connection can be registered in the data system.

No rate changes or formal procurement approvals were recorded at the meeting; board discussion focused on timing for payment to capture the vendor offer and completing SCADA programming.