Lake Hills Water Problem Progress, McLemore Expansion Updates
By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor
Readers may recall that a large number of Lake Hills residents attended the January meeting of the Dade County Water and Sewer Authority due to water pressure and supply issues in the neighborhood. At the March 25 meeting, the authority heard a quick update on the issue.
Elizabeth Zeller (general manager) reported that the pilot valve on the Lake Hills tank was rebuilt and reinstalled. Ladd Environmental (the engineering firm) will be completing a final review and pressure test to ensure the problems have been resolved.
Eddie Cantrell (chairman) asked if Lake Hills residents have shared any new complaints. Zeller said there haven’t been any new complaints. This update is also posted on the authority’s website.
Zeller then shared three quotes received for SMS and voice messenger services. (This service will send alerts to customers’ phones.) CivicPlus came in the lowest at about $9,000 per year, while the others were roughly $19,000 and $22,000 annually. CivicPlus is the system used by the county.
Tim Fowler (board member) asked what the pros and cons of each company are, but Zeller said it really just comes down to price because the services are very similar. The purchase was tabled until more board members are present to vote. (Tony Payne and Daniel Glecier were both absent.)
The board was joined by a representative from Contineo Group, the civil engineering firm working with McLemore Resort on its expansion project, who explained some changes in the expansion’s needs.
Initially, the firm requested permission to connect to an existing six-inch line on GA-157, installing a master meter and backflow prevention there at the highway with the rest being a private system. This system would only serve the pool area (which includes bathrooms/showers and a small kitchen area).
However, the Walker County fire department found that this would not be sufficient for fire protection, so Contineo is requesting that the water authority extend the six-inch line further into the property and continue to maintain this line.
The representative said, “That would allow us to reduce our meter size from a six-inch at the street to a one-inch, which is all that’s needed for the snack bar and to fill the pool, which would be a large cost savings for our client…A six-inch meter, a six-inch line to only serve the pool is an extra cost.”
Future residential developments on the property would require a separate connection point.
Cantrell noted that this is a change from what the authority had anticipated. Zeller explained the concerns from Bobby Cloud (distribution manager), saying, “When we bring that line, we’re getting into roadway, we’re getting into landscaping. If a break happens there, we’re the ones responsible for putting everything back together. His thinking is not getting into that, messing up landscaping and shrubbery. That’s why he was wanting to keep it a little bit closer to the road.”
Cantrell concluded that he thinks the authority will be able to meet Contineo’s request: “If Bobby signs off on it, I’ll be good with it.”
Lastly, Fowler asked if there are any updates on the GA-301 line upgrade. (The undersized line is being upgraded to a six-inch line.) Zeller said the next step is the pre-construction meeting.
