County’s Water Is Safe To Drink

By REBECCA HAZEN
News Editor

The Dade County Water and Sewer Authority announced during the June 28 meeting that the county’s drinking water is safe and clean for all customers, as presented in the 2021 Water Quality Report findings.

“I would like to highlight that our drinking water is safe, and during the past year the water delivered to our homes and businesses was standard or better than standard. We have good water and no MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) violations. We are thankful to our workers for that,” Chair Eddie Cantrell said.

The water provided to the Water and Sewer Authority’s customers is surface fresh water drawn from Lookout Creek and supplemented with ground water from a well located at the water treatment plant. Once the water is withdrawn from the creek or well, it is sent to the water treatment plant at Highway 136.

At the treatment plant, the water has poly-aluminum chloride added to it to cause the fine mud particles and other solids to come together and sink to the bottom of the settling basins. The clear water is then filtered and disinfected with chlorine, which makes the water safe for consumption. Fluoride is then added to the treated water to promote strong teeth and prevent dental cavities. The water is then distributed to the consumer.

The full report is available online at mydadewater.com.

Also, during the meeting Elizabeth Zeller notified the board members that all the meters for the meter replacement program were delivered earlier in the month, and that they are scheduling a start date with the contractor for the meters to be installed.

A new control panel upgrade project has been completed. The control panel was 22 years old and causing pumps at the treatment plant to intermittently shut off. The original estimated cost of the upgrade was $204,127. The final construction cost was $183,714. All motor control issues at the water treatment plant have now been corrected.

“The good news is that the final cost was $20,000 below the final estimate,” Cantrell said.

Also, as of June 16, the Dade County Water and Sewer Authority is no longer responsible for operations or maintenance at the McLemore Golf Course Sewer Facility. The Walker County Water and Sewer Authority voted at its June 14 meeting to enter an agreement with McLemore to operate the sewer plant.

Zeller presented the financial report. The total income for the month of May was $337,379.08, and the total expenses for the month were $291,330.74. There were 6,446 payments processed, and 233 work orders processed. There were 141 line locates, 13 water main leaks were repaired, and nine taps installed.

Travis Daniel, Darrell Pardue, and General Manager Sherri Walker were all absent from the meeting, but the authority still had a quorum.

The next Water and Sewer Authority meeting is July 26.