Dec 5, 2013 By Erin Hayes for The 3 min read

POINT MARION — The borough may start to see significant savings in unmetered water loss now that major leaks have been identified and corrected with the completion of the borough’s waterline replacement project.

One major leak was discovered on Main Street at the end of October, as contractors worked to lay new waterlines. That leak was causing a water loss of about 40,000 gallons a day, borough Treasurer and Manager Art Strimel reported during council’s meeting Wednesday.

The leak on Main Street was not the only leak discovered during the 3-month-long final phase of the project, but it was the most significant, he added.

“The point of the project was to find problems like that, and we never would have caught it without the waterline project,” Strimel said. “That has lowered our consumption considerably. Now we have a master meter in there.”

Overall, the borough’s water consumption has dropped from nearly 170,000 gallons a day to about 100,000 a day, he added, translating into a potential savings of $5,300 monthly.

While the waterline replacement phase of the project is complete, contractors will return in mid-April to complete the remainder of the project, namely landscaping and the laying of asphalt on the roadways, Strimel said.

Also at the meeting, council heard from newly-appointed Councilman Patrick Kelley on the possibility of establishing a farmers market in the borough.

Kelley proposed using the borough park for the event on Saturdays between 1 and 5 p.m. from June through November, charging $5 to $10 per vendor each weekend, with proceeds benefitting the park commission. The goal is to attract about 10 vendors, and five had already show serious interest, he said.

Borough resident and local farmer Larry Daugherty, who attended the meeting to help present the idea, said that the application process for vendors is minimal and the market would pose minimal interference to the park’s other activities. He said that grants may be available to help establish the venue, and those funds may in turn be used for park improvements.

The attraction may help draw people to the borough, he added.

Council agreed that a perfect location at the park for such an event would be in the boat ramp parking lot. Should the farmers market coincide with other major events or grow too large to be held in the parking lot, it could be relocated elsewhere in the park.

Council members asked that Kelley have the park commission prepare a proposal so that formal action may be taken on it at some point in the future.

Following a brief executive session at the end of the meeting, council moved to indemnify BFS for any damages or personal injuries that might occur on their property located across from the post office as volunteers erect a mosaic mural in the near future, shifting any liability from the property owner to the borough. Volunteers were hoping to erect the artwork this weekend, but its unveiling may be delayed due to inclement weather, council members said.

In other business, council members:

n Reminded that the Albert Gallatin Regatta planning committee will be discussing preparations for their 2014 event at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at the borough building. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

n Announced that Christmas caroling will take place again this year on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to meet up with other carolers at 5 p.m. at the Riverside Diner, 120 Penn St.