Dear Editor,
The responsibility of board members in the County Water District of Billings Heights (CWDBH) is to work with the staff to provide clean, reliable water cost effectively.
CWDBH contracted with Interstate Engineering to write two Preliminary Engineering Reports (PER) totaling $830,000. By comparison, the City of Laurel spent $54,000 and Lockwood $100,000. The initial CWDBH report did not provide an evaluation of the existing water mains noting on page 14, “No problems were identified with the Heights’ existing transmission mains.” The board initiated a study with an outside firm that suggested that in less than 9 years we may need to replace 35.2% of the AC pipes. Total replacement for the AC pipes is estimated at $182.6 million.
Additional upgrades recommended projects totaling $266,212,000 ($22,402,600 to in the next 5 years). The manager recommends 5 million replacement of the AC pipes each year while the District expands the review of the pipes. The PER recommended, “This will include keeping the existing agreement with the City of Billings and continuing to purchase treated water from the City.”
The District’s existing, average user water rate is $72.29 per month which is 103% of the target rate. The PER suggests that $3,029,250 ( with a projected forgiveness of 25 percent, or $1,009,750) would cost ratepayers an additional $6.48 per month (at 2.5% interest). An additional $12.6++ million may be recommended to build a NW Transmission line to increase water pressure west of Main; city engineers believe this can be accomplished less expensively.
You are welcome to attend the CWDBH board meetings on the third Wednesday of the month, 6 pm, 1540 Popelka Dr. Agenda packets are available by 6:00 pm of the preceding Monday on the District website.
Pam Ellis
Billings, MT
