Water authority to use new mapping system
DUNBAR TWP. – The North Fayette County Municipal Authority is updating the maps of its distribution system to better locate water valves and tap-ins with an electronic program designed by Ted Shal, customer service manager. Shal presented the authority Tuesday with a demonstration of the new program, noting that all of its 2,500 valve locations have been downloaded into the system in addition to 5,000 out of 20,000 service cards used for tap-ins.
“It’s a work in process still,” said Shal.
Once the mapping system is complete, Shal said that supervisors, service crews and customer service representatives would be able to access the necessary information at their fingertips opposed to looking it up manually.
“That’s the direction we’re going in trying to get all of this paper information into computerized form,” said Shal.
With the current system, Bob Softcheck, authority manager, said crews are responsible for looking up pipe or valve locations during a water line break that are written on index cards that are filed in a drawer at the shop.
Softcheck added that while a lot of workers are familiar with the locations, they may not get the right index card or be aware that a valve was paved over, in addition to experiencing a harder time seeing if the problem occurs after hours.
“All of this information we have, it’s just not a convenient location to be mobile,” said Softcheck.
Shal said the new system was put to the test last week when crews were called out to a water main break on Duck Pond Road.
“That’s invaluable information, there’s no question about it,” said Paul Kendi, authority secretary, of the program.
In an unrelated matter, the authority is claiming that a Weirton, W.Va., chemical supply contractor may be breaching its contract by not delivering Fluorosilicic Acid on time under the agreement.
Doug Sepic, authority solicitor, said SAL Chemical delivered the chemical on several occasions, but may not be able to comply with future dates under the contract that was awarded by the authority in March.
A letter from the vice president of sales for SAL dated July 11 stated that, “Due to conditions beyond our control, SAL Chemical will be severely limiting deliveries of Fluorosilicic Acid for the foreseeable future.”
According to the letter, several market imbalances were to blame for having to limit SAL’s supply service that included increased demands during hot and dry weather conditions, inconsistent production and less quantity than last year coupled with depleted inventories and industry consolidation that left some phosphate plants idle during the last 14 months, reducing the Fluorosilicic Acid supply at the source.
While SAL apologized for the inconvenience, they confirmed that the company would resume a normal delivery schedule as soon as possible.