March 22, 2018
Water on the mind of the council
By Jerry W. Kram
Water in many ways dominated the recent meeting of the Parshall City Council.
High on the agenda was the final passage of an ordinance that would make residents responsible for keeping their water meters from freezing in winter. The city has switched to a new supplier of networked water meters that are more than twice the cost of the old water meters. More than a dozen of the new meters were damaged in the January cold snap that saw temperatures drop to 30 below.
The ordinance leaves the cost of the deposit to hook up to city water at $50. However, property owners will be responsible for the full repair cost if their water meter freezes, which is about $250 for a broken frost plate. If the meter can’t be repaired, then the property owner will have to pay to replace it. The ordinance will also require replacement meters to be installed inside buildings where they won’t freeze. Property owners will also have to pay to have a plumber install the replacement meter.
High on the agenda was the final passage of an ordinance that would make residents responsible for keeping their water meters from freezing in winter. The city has switched to a new supplier of networked water meters that are more than twice the cost of the old water meters. More than a dozen of the new meters were damaged in the January cold snap that saw temperatures drop to 30 below.
The ordinance leaves the cost of the deposit to hook up to city water at $50. However, property owners will be responsible for the full repair cost if their water meter freezes, which is about $250 for a broken frost plate. If the meter can’t be repaired, then the property owner will have to pay to replace it. The ordinance will also require replacement meters to be installed inside buildings where they won’t freeze. Property owners will also have to pay to have a plumber install the replacement meter.
