Continued Repair and Improvement Efforts on Our Water System
In the past several weeks, volunteers have worked to repair some leaks in the system. I'm sure most of you have noticed a couple of open holes in the Homestead. The first leak on Pinion was left open until we were able to order a replacement dual check valve to complete the repair. We will be finishing and covering up the hole as soon as weather and time allow.
The second and considerably larger hole, is along Homestead. It was a two-day repair of multiple leaks along the joints of the pipe. It needed to be left open to dry enough to make sure all the leaks on that line were fixed. The weather hasn't been particularly cooperative for drying things out, however, we will be filling it in as soon as weather and time allow as well.
It is important to know that both of these leaks had been leaking for a very long time. The first was smaller and barely noticable. Jim had been watching the moisture at that spot and comparing it to the dry time of nearby soil for some time to confirm the possibility of a leak. The second, larger leak was missed until the whole area was saturated enough for water to show up on the road.
It is important that we all keep a look out for possible leaks and notify someone immediately, as water meter sales continue to make up only a third of the water we are pumping out of the ground each month. Call or text (806) 884-8116 or email hlawaterworks@gmail.com or hladirectors@gmail.com so we can keep an eye on the suspect area to determine if there is a leak needing repair.
Huge Thanks to our tireless volunteers willing to help out! Trust me it is not easy nor fun working in the mud and muck trying to find the source of a leak.
You may have also noticed some new faces in the Homestead on the 21st helping us out with a water loss audit. As part of our long-term plan to improve our water system, James and Sha, part of a group with UNM, provided their services, equipment, and advise free of charge. We are extremely grateful for their generosity and knowledge. The first step in the process was checking meter accuracy. We sampled several customer meters against an electronic flow meter and graduated buckets at three different flow rates. All the meters we tested were accurate. We also tested a spare water meter so that we can continue checking the accuracy of customer meters. There are plans for visits and leak detection activities in the future.
If you would like to be a volunteer for the HLA just send us an email at hladirectors@gmail.com with your name and number and we will notify you with volunteer opportunities.
