1981 10 21 BAWA Minutes 11021-1
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE BAYTOWN AREA WATER AUTHORITY
October 21 , 1981
The Board of Directors of the Baytown Area Water
Authority, Harris County, Texas, met in regular session on
Wednesday, October 21 , 1981 , in the Conference Room of the
Baytown City Hall with the following attendance :
Robert L. Gillette, President
• Harry F. Hartman, Vice President
Peter R. Buenz, Secretary
Dr. Robert E. Hill , Board Member
Absent : Dan M. Mundinger, Board Member
The meeting was called to order and the following
business was transacted:
Presentation - I . J. Butrick
Former Board member, I . J . Butrick, was presented
with a plaque to express appreciation for his service on
the BAWA Board. Mr. Butrick served on the Board from
August , 1973 to August , 1981 .
Minutes
Board member Buenz moved for approval of the minutes
for the meeting held September 23, 1981 ; Board member Hartman
seconded the motion. The vote follows :
Ayes : Board members Buenz, Gillette, Hartman and
Hill
Nays : None
Hear Report from Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc.
Rick French with the firm of Lockwood, Andrews &
Newnam, Inc. reported that all the instrumentation has been
commissioned. All that remains to be completed are minor
punch list items .
Bob Parker with Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc .
reported that about the same time as the last regular
Board meeting, the consulting engineers made arrangements
with Angleton for City of Baytown crews to remove the valve
• between the BRH section of line and the Angleton section of
line . The reason for this was to remove any possibility of
valve leakage under the test procedure. There have been a
series of leak events . One such event occurred on Garth
Road where BAWA and City of Baytown lines come together.
Due to rains and wet ground conditions, it has taken almost
two weeks to get that problem corrected. Another failure
occurred at the Texas Eastern crossing which will require
that the line be dewatered and repairs performed. Essentially,
the project is at the same status quo as last month. Angleton
has been afforded all opportunities to complete testing, but
new leaks develop at different areas than anticipated or in
areas where there is no reason to assume that a leak would
occur.
11021-2
Minutes of the BAWA Board - October 21, 1981
The section of pipe from Thompson to Wade Road has
been approved for pressure testing. From that point , all
the way to the BRH section of line, there have been attempts
to test which have never been successful . Pressure of be-
tween 90 to 100 pounds has been achieved on several occasions,
but that pressure was never maintained for the specified
period of time . None of the line from Thompson Road to the
Exxon pipeline crossing has been inspected for interior
grouting and condition of line. The line from BRH section
back to North Main and all the way to the Exxon crossing
has been inspected and approved.
Hear Report from Norman Dykes, Director of Public Works/ •
City Engineer, Regarding Various Requests for Water
Service
A map was posted in the Conference Room which de-
picted various water districts and other potential users
of water. The only customers presently being served by
BAWA are Lake Municipal Utility District and the City of
Baytown . Presently, there is a request from the Thompson
Road Utility District for water service . Two other muni-
cipal utility districts are proposing to purchase water
from BAWA. The small commercial developments along
Interstate 10 will probably be served by the City of Baytown .
What the Administration would like the Board to consider
is the wholesaling of water to these large utility dis-
tricts . The utility districts mentioned are the newer
districts , however, there are numerous older districts
which are on wells . These districts must convert to
an alternate means of water due to a mandate from the
Harris-Galveston Subsidence District . The districts are
equipped in various fashions . For instance, Municipal
Utility District 1B has a well and a small pneumatic tank,
Highlands has ground storage and elevated storage, McNair/
Linus has elevated tank with no ground storage, and Coady
has ground storage, but no elevated storage.
The City of Baytown/BAWA Water System is an ap-
proved State water system. To be an approved water system,
besides minimum health requirements, there is a required
amount of elevated and ground storage. The ground storage
must be equal to the average daily water consumption for
the past year and the elevated storage must be equal to
fifty (50%) percent of that . If either of those storage
requirements are not met , then the system is classified
as merely a State system. The water is safe, but not an
approved water system for firefighting purposes which
effects the key rate on insurance. All the above-mentioned
utility districts are not approved water systems(Highlands
is border line) .
When the City of Baytown tied to BAWA, the city
was deficient at that time in ground storage, but upon
tieing to BAWA, the city has been claiming the 8 , 000, 000 •
gallons ground storage at the BAWA plant . At present ,
BAWA is barely meeting elevated storage requirements,
but included in the recent City of Baytown bond issue
was an item to finance the construction of a new
elevated storage tower. This will put BAWA/Baytown
well over the requirements for elevated storage. Since
BAWA and Baytown are tied together with no air gap, the
State Department of Health recognizes this as one system.
If other systems are allowed to tie directly to this
system without air gaps, those systems become part of
the one system and storage requirements are increased
accordingly. The only way to eliminate that problem is
to require each customer to install a ground storage
tank with an air gap . This will physically separate the
systems .
11021-3
Minutes of the BAWA Board - October 21, 1981
In order to be assured of an approved water system,
BAWA could consider its present customers, as well as future
customers a part of one system or consider BAWA a separate
entity and require all others, including Baytown to have
tanks and air gaps . Also, it would be possible to have a
combination of the two systems .
One consideration would be to have direct connections,
with BAWA funding and providing storage requirements . MUD 1B,
Highlands and McNair/Linus have all indicated that they have
no funds available to construct tanks . However, they would
be willing to pay an extra charge for water if BAWA would
construct the air gaps . BAWA could develop a base rate
• with additional charges for providing storage or air gaps .
The Administration requested guidance from the Board
as to the direction to proceed. The question is whether the
Board felt that several small ground and elevated storage
facilities would be preferable to a few large storage
facilities . The Board felt that in order to make a deter-
mination, it would be necessary to obtain cost estimates .
Board member Buenz felt that several large tanks
would be preferred over a multiplicity of small tanks .
Mr. Lanham responded that the only disadvantage
that the Administration could visualize to that system is
that BAWA would have no control over its customers ' dis-
tribution systems except by contract . The State Department
of Health requires that there be a provision in the contract
that would give BAWA the right to inspect any system that is
directly connected to the BAWA system at anytime .
Board member Gillette inquired if BAWA were to pro-
vide storage facilities for these various entities , would
BAWA incur other liabilities? Danny Jackson, Assistant
City Attorney, stated that he felt the contract contained
specific provisions to protect BAWA, but the legal staff
will research this question and report to the Board.
Mr. Lanham mentioned that since BAWA is comprised
of a large area to the north of Baytown and since BAWA has
encouraged the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District to
eliminate wells in the area, BAWA has some responsibility to
attempt to provide water service to developing areas . The
Board concurred.
Mr. Dykes reported that in order to meet State re-
quirements, if BAWA were to connect to Baytown, McNair/Linus ,
Highlands, MUD 1B, Coady, Thompson Road MUD, and Lake MUD,
utilizing credit for tanks in those systems , there would
be a need for just over 2 million gallons ground storage
and 22 million elevated storage . Baytown has plans to
construct 12 million elevated storage; therefore, 1 million
gallons elevated storage would still be necessary .
• Thompson Road Municipal Utility District has re-
quested service. The estimated need for Thompson Road MUD
is 614, 250 gallons per day. The expected population for
that district is 4, 724 . The needs are based on 32 persons
per connections using 130 gallons per capita per day useage .
Board member Buenz stated that it appears that the
most logical approach would be a multiply rate structure.
Mr. Lanham responded that most of the utility districts
would prefer this approach .
11021-4 I
Minutes of the BAWA Board - October 21, 1981
In response to a comment by the Board, Mr. Dykes
explained that it would be preferable to have all the ground
storage at the water treatment plant with the elevated
storage located in the area to be served.
Mr. Dykes stated that for some districts, it would
be simplier for those districts to run a line to the air
gap already available and purchase water at base rate .
Others are equipped only with a well . Some districts may
want to put in an air gap, but not invest a large amount
in storage .
Board member Buenz stated that what the Board needed
was a scenario of assumptions, setting forth what entities •
will be utilizing BAWA water, at what point will an additional
elevated storage tank be necessary and the cost , and the
timing and cost of an additional surface water tank. After
those assumption are made, rates can be developed.
There being no further business to be transacted,
the meeting was adjourned.
/q)
Peter R. Buen Secretary
•