Mainly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..
Mainly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
The Kingwood Water Board discusses matters at its meeting Tuesday.
Potesta engineer Everett E. Mullein explains a map of the possible downtown project as Water Board Chairman Bob DeRiggi listens.
The Kingwood Water Board discusses matters at its meeting Tuesday.
Potesta engineer Everett E. Mullein explains a map of the possible downtown project as Water Board Chairman Bob DeRiggi listens.
KINGWOOD – Pressure problems dominated discussions during the Tuesday evening meeting of the Kingwood Water Works Board.
Randy Plum said he recently had a leak in his basement he found difficult to fix. He said his pressure release valve failed, so he installed another one. Plum said he found out he was getting 175 pounds per square inch water pressure in his home — more than double the normal range. He was able to lower it to 50 psi with the new valve.
“If it had measured 175 in an upstairs room, it would have destroyed my home,” Plum said. “The valve I put in doesn’t solve the problem; 175 psi is not the highest in your system. You have up to 400.”
Water Board President Robert DeRiggi said homes built after 2003 have pressure-reducing stations.
“Those built before 2003 are in a gray zone,” he said. “It’s up to the customer to take care of. The areas in our system where we have above normal pressure we are trying to take care of. We can look into it in the future.”
“I would hope you would contract with your engineer on pressure reducing stations,” Plum said. “I would really like you and the board to give them authorization to design something to relieve the problem in Kingwood.”
Plum said he has lived in the same house for 40 years and never had a problem before.
“You know if you have a pressure of 175 psi in someone’s house there is a problem,” Plum said. “With high pressure coming in, a commode is set at 50 psi so they are running and using water and you don’t know it. A failure on my upper floor would ruin my house.”
Another local resident also addressed the board about a water problem. He said he was accused of breaking a water line or meter and was charged $600 plus his regular water bill.
“So you say the damage we documented was not done by you?” DeRiggi asked.
“I’ve had no water since November. My neighbor loaned me a water hose for water,” the resident said.
DeRiggi said the problem has been ongoing since November. He told the customer it’s illegal to be plumbed into a neighbor’s water.
“In February, I hauled water from Greer. When I used the neighbor’s water, I gave them money,” the man said.
“This is an ongoing investigation and we can’t take any action until we get the police report. The past due bill must be current before we can turned your water on. I was told it’s $996.86 including repair. Hooking up to the neighbor to avoid a water bill is unacceptable,” DiRiggi said.
“I was in the hospital on Oct. 11 and got out about three weeks later. Since then I have been in and out sometimes for days and sometimes for several weeks. I was shot in the leg and couldn’t get in and out of that pit,” where the alleged damage occurred, the man said.
In other business, board members looked at a map of potential downtown projects that they could seek funding for.
Board members also discussed the possibility of a study of water intakes near the Albright dam. It was built to serve the Albright Power Station, which closed in 2012, and Friends of the Cheat is now leading the effort to remove it.
DeRiggi said the board’s engineer “believes there should be a study at the intakes. We’re caretakers of the water system and there is some valid concerns.”
“Who’s to say it’s not going to take all of the water down the right side and our intakes are on the left side?” Board Member Jimmy Mainer asked.
Staff Writer Jeniffer Graham may be reached at news@prestonnj.com.
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