The Bradford City Water Authority approved motions during
Tuesday morning’s meeting, allowing the pertinent parties to take
their next steps in two major projects.

The authority approved a motion allowing Kane-based consulting
forester Keith Horn to conduct a watershed inventory on the more
than 8,000 acres surrounding the Gilbert and Marilla
reservoirs.

Water Authority Executive Director Kim Benjamin said during
there had not been an inventory done there since 1995, and that it
was “time to update” that information.

He said an inventory would provide information on how many and
what varieties of trees and other plant life exist in that area,
for example. The results of the inventory will be compiled and
bound together, including color-coded maps, charts and various
data.

There was an inventory of the 4,000 acres surrounding Heffner
Reservoir in 2002, Benjamin said, adding the need to update the
information there was not as crucial at this point.

The official motion included language dictating the project will
“not exceed $80,000,” and gave Horn permission to go ahead with the
inventory.

Also on Tuesday, the authority approved a motion allowing
Michael Marino, PE, of CRA Infrastructure & Engineering Inc.
out of Buffalo, N.Y., to conduct an ultra-violet water disinfection
evaluation report.

Marino gave a short presentation on UV light water treatment or
disinfection, saying it is the most “state of the art technology”
in its field. Using a specific portion of the UV spectrum -254
nanometers -ðthe device renders harmful organisms incapable of
multiplying.

It is the most effective method to eradicate cryptosporidium and
giardia, which are organisms that can infect water supplies, he
said. UV disinfection also reduces the byproducts of water
treatment, Marino added. If employed, it could even end up reducing
the amount of chlorine that is used in water treatment, he
said.

The system is comprised of a reactor, a varied number of mercury
arc lamps and a ballast. It is a small piece of equipment that can
be easily incorporated into an existing system, Marino said.

He went on to say he has investigated aspects of the system with
two major producers -ðTrojan UV out of London, Ontario, and Calgon
Carbon out of Pittsburgh. He presented dollar figures for both
systems and explained the differences between the two.

The authority approved a motion granting Marino permission to
pursue an evaluation of the two systems and their incorporation
into the Bradford water system.

In other business:

* Benjamin reported the authority was near the bidding process
for the two-phase construction of the proposed above-ground pump
station;

* discussed solicitor Fred Gallup’s, next move in his attempts
to collect back payment from delinquent customers Edna Hallock and
Kevin McMurtrie;

* Benjamin said the Marilla rehabilitation project would likely
remain on hold through the “wet spring months;” and

* approved a motion to update the water authority’s substance
abuse policy to bring them into compliance with federal Department
of Transportation guidelines.

The next Bradford City Water Authority is set for 11 a.m. April
24.