Water was on the agenda when the Olive Hill city council met in regular session last Tuesday (July 16). Council started the meeting by accepting the reading of the minutes from both the regularly scheduled meeting in June and the special meeting. The treasurer’s report was voted on and accepted, and the council also received updates on the current status of the water plant project. Discussion on the topic included plans for partial or complete demolition of the old water plant when all work on the new plant was finished and it was running at capacity.
Wastewater treatment plant supervisor Josh Shutte commented on the new water plant and pointed out some potential issues. One issue was with the backwash on the new plant. Shutte pointed out that the new system is not saving the city money by reducing backwash as expected. Currently it is using 40,000 gallons per day due to the filters having to be regularly backwashed.
“Originally they had it set up for 7,500 gallons per filter, but that will not get the filters clean,” Shutte told council.
The council also heard information about grants designed to assist in reclaiming property. The EPA’s Brownfields Program provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, tribes and others to assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse contaminated properties. Were the city to secure such grants, it is possible that the funds could be used to demolish dilapidated buildings and improve the city overall.
Council also voted to authorize the mayor to pursue funding for roads in the city through House Bill 265. The bill provides grants to repair roads and bridges in the county or inside the city.
“If it gets one bridge fixed, or one culvert fixed, it’s worth it,” Mayor Callihan told the council.
Another project Callihan mentioned to council was applying for a grant through FIVCO to build a permanent v-dam.
“Water systems all over the state of Kentucky have them,” Callihan told the council. “It would keep our intake under water at all times.”
A v-dam, unlike a reservoir that is designed to hold water, is a concrete barrier designed to control the flow of a river and to store water for various purposes. By constructing a v-dam near the intake of the city’s water supply it would, as Callihan said, keep the water intake under water even during periods of low water levels in Tygart.
“I’m not trying to catch water, just slow it down,” Callihan said. “And it won’t affect the flow of the creek because once it fills up and flows over it will run like it always has.”
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
