Members of the Bradford City Water Authority at Tuesday
morning’s meeting unanimously approved the authority’s new
five-year capital plan at about $6 million.

Authority chairman Lawrence Shields pointed out that the capital
plan for the last five years totaled just under $5 million.

With several new and expensive projects under way, the Marilla
Reservoir dam rehabilitation project, main line replacements and
investment in new residual waste refinement technology -ðthe
authority is looking at an increase in spending over the next five
years, according to the representative of R&D Engineers who
submitted the report.

Executive director Kim Benjamin talked about the $2 million
Marilla Reservoir dam rehabilitation, saying he realized it was a
difficult time in the process when construction has not started,
yet the authority has already spent $200,000 on engineering costs,
designs and permits.

“I realize it’s hard when you’re not seeing anything, and we’re
making payments,” Benjamin said. He assured the authority the
project was still on schedule, however, with work to start as soon
as next year.

The dam is being rehabilitated after it was recently deemed
unsafe by the federal Bureau of Dams.

In other financial matters, Benjamin informed the authority that
due to Act 205, which was passed in 1984, the authority is required
to submit an estimate for the upcoming year’s budget based on the
numbers from the previous year. Benjamin said the number the
authority is looking at currently is in the neighborhood of
$57,849.

Benjamin also pointed out the authority has not raised service
rates and may have to consider a rate hike next year. He pointed
out that the recent jump in fuel costs has affected several aspects
of the authority’s budget; right down to the price of chemicals,
which has increased due to the cost of hauling them.

In other business, Benjamin told the authority members that he
was waiting for approval of a permit by the state Department of
Environmental Protection regarding the rehabilitation of the Bon
Air Storage Tank.

Depending on when the permit is granted and the availability of
the crews that will paint the inside of the tank, it was unclear if
the project would be completed this year or have to be put off
until late spring or early summer of next year, he said.

The Marilla Trails & Water Crossing dedication has been set
for Oct. 8 at the reservoir, Benjamin noted. More information on
the event will be released in the next week, he said.

The authority will have its first timber sale of the season Oct.
13. The authority will sell 328,220 net board feet of marked
sawtimber on Interstate Parkway.

The next water authority meeting is set for 11 a.m. Oct. 25 at
the Kubiak Building on Kennedy Street.