Rural water may be in Salem?s future

By Brooks Taylor, Mt. Pleasant News

SALEM ? Frequent problems with an aging city water system have Salem looking toward the Rathbun Regional Water Association (RRWA) to provide the community with water.

City council members met with John Glenn of RRWA Tuesday night during the council?s regular meeting to discuss receiving its water from the association.

Glenn said RRWA could provide the city with water, leading Mayor Dan Patterson to ask if the city would still have to use its water tower. Glenn replied the water tower would not be needed, adding that it would be more expensive to use the town?s tower because a meter and valve would have to be installed.

?The best way for us to come into town is through a six-inch main from the east and you have a six-inch main that we can hook into,? Glenn said. ?You will have a lot more water for a longer time than you have now.?

Salem Fire Chief Steve Nichting asked if fire protection would be a problem, relating that a fire hose runs 125 gallons of water per minute and the department would run two hoses simultaneously.

?Fire protection would not be a problem,? Glenn answered. ?You (water flow) won?t be going down any but may not go up.?

Currently, RRWA serves 53 communities, Glenn said, recently adding Hillsboro.

RRWA currently charges communities $2.80 per 1,000 gallons used but will be raising the fee to $3.00 per 1,000 gallons used as of July 1. If Salem were to hook into the system, its water would come from either Burlington or Ft. Madison, Glenn said.

The city would still own the remainder of the water delivery system. ?All we will do is supply the water,? Glenn said.

He also said that there would be a hook-up fee of around $50,000. Grant money from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is available to pay for some of that fee and a USDA loan could fund the remainder.

?I think we need to do this but need more information on the costs,? said Councilwoman Mary Hoyer.

Councilman Chuck Kramer agreed, saying, ?The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the problem by telling us we need water softeners. The whole (water) plant needs redone.?

Jim Tomson, Salem?s water superintendent, said there are problems with the town?s main lift station and a sewer line. ?It (lift station) will never pass another inspection. I want to let you know up front that we have to do something.?

Salem resident Judy Feehan asked for a timeline if the city were to go with rural water. Glenn said RRWA would have to get a construction permit from the DNR ?but it could be done in two or three months.?

Council members recommended that the water committee meet with RRWA to gain more information and report back to the council.

Salem hopes to fill the vacant city council seat during a special meeting Thursday, April 13, at 5:30 p.m. at the community center. Bruce Eltrich resigned his seat, effective immediately at the last council meeting, citing health reasons.

Those interested in serving on the council are asked to leave their name with the city clerk. The term will last until the end of the year. The position will be on the November city election ballot.

Council members adopted the fiscal 2018 budget with a property tax levy of $16.73 per $1,000 taxable valuation.

Expenditures are listed at $318,200 and revenues $296,051. To balance the budget, the city will draw $21,249 from cash reserves. The city?s beginning balance on July 1, 2017, is projected at $126,843, and the ending balance on June 30, 2018, is listed at $105,594.

Approval was given for a $36,174 expenditure for turnout gear for the fire department. Turnout gear is basically new coats, pants, masks, gloves and boots. Some of the department?s gear was 20 years old, Nichting said. He had been asking for new gear for the past six months.

Nichting also presented his first-quarter rescue and fire report. During the first three months of the year, there were five fire calls, 18 EMS calls, three rescue calls and two mutual-aid responses.

City Clerk Alyse Kreiss volunteered to head up the children?s Easter egg hunt this year, which will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 15, at 10 a.m. at Central Park.

Next regular meeting of the council will be Tuesday, May 2, at 5:30 p.m., at the community center.