New Water Well Construction to Begin In Ellinger

The Ellinger Sewer and Water Supply Corporation held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, Oct. 12, at the Ellinger Fire Station. Greg Hunger, president, called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. with all board members in attendance. Minutes from the September regular monthly meeting and those from the special/workshop meeting held Sept. 26 were approved.

Next, Bradley Loehr of BEFCO presented the engineer’s report. He noted that Russell Drilling should be moving to Ellinger this week to prepare for drilling another water well. The old ballpark lot has been surveyed and the land transfer with Fayette County is in progress. He updated the board on funding avenues for the filtration system, and other projects in the planning stages.

The board approved being affiliated with Fayette County seeking a grant for a long-term pipeline project. Craig Moreau and his intern have been out and about the Ellinger area collecting the low income surveys needed for this project. Residents in attendance at the town hall meeting for incorporation on Oct. 1 already completed said surveys.

Scott Manuel of Inframark presented the manager’s report. Basically all has been running well; one leak was repaired on Munn St., aerators have been repaired and placed in operation, and routine maintenance was performed on the back-up generator. He also presented the results of the 5000 gallon pressure tank inspection that was completed on Aug. 12. After the inspection, Texas Tank Services pressure-washed the exterior of the facility to extend the life of the structure, recommended sandblasting and recoating the inside of the structure to extend its life, and performed an in-service cleaning, which consisted of removing and discharging all the sediment and debris in the tank.

The board will need to seek bids for the recoating process of the interior of the pressure tank; preliminary estimates are in the range of $15,000 to $20,000. Texas Tank Services also inspected the standpipe. The dive teams located and repaired a leak on the floor plates; recommended power washing several exterior areas, as well as repairing several other areas noted in poor condition. The corporation has already received monies to erect a new water storage facility as part of the water well project. On a positive note, the report noted that water condition was good, clarity of water was also good, the temperature was cool, and no insects, oils, or odors were noted.

Additionally, the board reviewed and approved the financial reports and paying the bills. Approval was also given for Carissa Karisch to attend a continuing educational virtual workshop presented by Texas Rural Water Association (TRWA.) Another workshop/ training session for the board along with TRWA circuit riders will be scheduled for early November. Karisch will also begin training to become a notary for the corporation. The next regular monthly meeting will be Monday, Nov. 9.

Birthdays

Birthday wishes are extended to the following celebrants: Braxton Smidovec and Sheila Brugger - Oct. 18; Maxine Brugger - 21; and Allen Mueller and Paul Michalsky - 23.

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