The July 25 Martin County Water Board meeting laid bare troubling issues and the possibilities of further troubles.
First, let’s address the leaky clarifier debacle. Part of a $3.4 million rehabilitation project is nothing to scoff at. It’s an investment to ensure the proper functioning of the district’s water treatment plant and raw water intake. Yet, the glaring mishap of an incorrectly cut metal skirt inside a clarifier at the water treatment plant and the subsequent attempts to rectify it using rubberized caulk pose serious questions.
Can the residents trust a system that approves patching this mistake instead of correcting it?
Nina McCoy’s apprehensions expressed in the meeting are certainly not unfounded.
When Craig Miller of Alliance claims that past issues stem from a lack of adequate follow-up, one cannot help but wonder why, even now, the resolution involves caulk and not a complete replacement of the compromised metal.
The saga of the failed raw water intake pumps adds another layer of distress.
After investing almost half a million dollars in 2019, it is alarming that key infrastructure like intake pumps remain ineffective two and a half years later. As a result, the Curtis Crum Reservoir, which plays a dual role in providing drinking water and supporting local fishing, is left in dire straits.
Its chronic depletion is more than a hit to fishing; it’s an indictment of the district’s ability to maintain basic services and environmental well-being.
The lack of water-storage tank cleaning and maintenance compounds concerns. While financial constraints are a legitimate factor, sheer nastiness inside water storage tanks is potentially dangerous.
Budgetary issues only deepen these concerns.
The staggering increase in cost for a pump station valve to serve the high school tank, from $30,000 in 2021 to $81,000 now, brings transparency to the fore. Should residents be comfortable with adjustments of tens of thousands of dollars without clear and open justification?
This lack of transparency is exacerbated by the board chairman’s admission July 25 of secret private meetings between board members and Alliance management.
On top of that, another board member let it slip that while the board has repeatedly stated a $1.3 million loan secured in 2022 obligates the district to retain a management company, that is not the case. The board member said, “We had to take it out.”
Positive steps such as reinstating the high-service pump at the water treatment plant do not nullify the larger issues.
A water loss rate of over 62% speaks volumes about inefficiencies in the system.
Water loss is money and resources down the drain.
To the residents of Martin County, we urge vigilance in demanding transparency and accountability from your water board. And to the Martin County Water Board: while challenges are inherent, you must prioritize the community’s needs. Ensure that every decision has the county and its residents’ long-term well-being at its heart, not what is politically motivated or most convenient and easy for the board