Goodman Officials Exploring Options For Water Issues

A lack of funds has crippled Goodman officials from fixing an aging water system, but various options are now being explored.

Rural Development representative Bruce Hively recently met with Goodman officials to discuss different possibilities for addressing water issues. Hively suggested officials complete an asset replacement schedule and explore how much the city could qualify for in loans and grants.

Goodman officials have said they simply lack the funds to fix the problems.

David Brodie, the city supervisor, calls the problems in the water system major issues.

“We have some cracks in the mains, although the private lines contribute,” Brodie told Hively.

Some cities have conducted some smoke testing, which focuses on smoke bombs. Then, officials can see where leaks are occurring. Brodie said city officials have already conducted some camera work and are aware of some problems.

Hively said his agency has worked with three cities so far. Replacing and working on lines can be a cheaper option than a complete replacement.

Hively mentioned that the city would be eligible for a loan, based on the median rate of income. Those numbers come from the 2010 census. The median rate of income is $34,938 and the loan rate is based on that dollar amount.

Ultimately, the best solution is not having to borrow money, Hively said. By doing an asset replacement schedule and a rate study, officials can line list how much projects will cost, how much it will take to replace some of the lines each year and build that into the cost.

Increasing water and sewer rates could help pay for the problems. In comparison to a lot of other nearby cities, the Goodman sewer rate is cheap, Hively said.

Officials agree they want to move forward and will continue to look at the various options for funding and fixing the issues.