Council Approves Water Rate Increase

PRAIRIE GROVE — Water rates in Prairie Grove will increase, effective Dec. 17, to pay off the debt of a new $2.5 million bond issue to completely rehab the city’s 40-year-old water treatment plant.

Water bills will go up about $6 per month for an average residential customer who uses 5,400 gallons of water, according to Larry Oelrich, director of public works and administrative services.

Prairie Grove customers pay $28.48 per month for an average consumption of 4,500 gallons. This will increase to $34.43 under the new rates approved by Prairie Grove City Council last week, Nov. 26. Oelrich said the new rate would be on January 2016 bills.

Council members approved an ordinance called the 2015 Water Rate Ordinance. It outlines new rates for three types of customers served by the city’s water treatment plant: city, rural and northwest rural. The city has about 1,700 customers in the city limits, 300 rural customers outside city limits and 125 customers considered northwest rural customers. Rural customers pay a higher rate.

The Council voted at its October meeting to issue a new bond issue for plant improvements. The debt service for the new bond issue will be about $135,000 per year.

Oelrich gave a Power Point presentation last week on the water treatment plan, refurbishment and rehab. The project will include all new electrical wiring, new master control panels, new metering, new plant operational controls and valves in the control room. Because of the plant’s age, many parts are not available, he said.

“Safety is the big issue,” Oelrich told Council members.

Building improvements include new metal siding on existing buildings, replace skylights and interior upgrades, such as a shower, new heater and adding insulation.

New plant equipment will be new chemical feeders, new piping, new actuators and new master meters. The water clarifier will be completed refurbished, along with major improvements to the filter. The project will provide a new chemical building to provide better mixing and allow pre-chemical sampling from the water intake.

Surface aerators will be installed in Prairie Grove Lake to add oxygen to the water. Oxygen will reduce iron and manganese and improve taste and odors.

“This will provide huge benefits in water quality and clarity,” Oelrich said.

Construction is expected to start before the end of the year and will take three to four months to complete.

Oelrich’s presentation also included information about a major project planned by Benton/Washington Regional Public Water Authority to install a 24-inch parallel line to serve the south part of the system.

The new line will benefit Prairie Grove, Lincoln and Westville, Okla., and has an estimated cost of $12.4 million, including engineering, construction, easements and contingencies.

The authority will pass the cost of the new line to its system members. Oelrich said Prairie Grove’s cost would be about 25 cents more per 1,000 gallons. He recommended the city absorb this cost for the first one or two years, instead of passing it on to customers.

“I think we’ve hit our taxpayers enough,” Oelrich said.

In other action, City Council rezoned property along Heritage Parkway in Sundowner Subdivision from R-2 (multi-family) to R1.5 (single family residential) and passed a resolution to apply for a fire grant to purchase protective equipment.

Another ordinance adopted by the Council requires city employees to have the right at all reasonable hours to enter a property to read and test meters, inspect piping and perform other work related to utility service.

The ordinance prohibits a customer from preventing access by locked gate, vicious or unfriendly animals, parked vehicles on or above the meter or covering up the meter with vegetation. The ordinance includes a fine for those found guilty of violating the city ordinance.