Engineer and consultant Brad Hammond of Ollson Associates told the board at the April 19 meeting of the Carroll-Boone Water District he had researched options for repairing or replacing the roof of the office building at the Freeman-Raney Water Treatment Plant. He had been charged with the assignment because the leaks, with one especially pernicious drip above the desk of Office Manager Cathy Klein.
Hammond said replacing the flat roof with a pitched roof with a standing seam metal roofing would provide a longer life expectancy than simply re-covering the roof with another coating of a rubberized sealant. The current coating and insulation would have to be removed and framing would need to be built to accommodate vents and hatches in place now over a lower part of the roof. One option he suggested would be a pitched roof over the main section of the building with the lower section remaining flat.
Chair James Yates said the added life expectancy of the pitched roof would offset the possible higher cost. He also asked Hammond to continue pursuing insurance coverage.
Hammond said he would confer with Plant Manager Barry Connell to develop estimates for the different options and report back at the July meeting.
Other projects
Hammond reported the pH adjustment project is in the submittal process with equipment being reviewed, and he expected it would be operational on schedule.
He proposed a contract to update the Master Plan for $56,795, which would include updates to electrical components that would improve transmission efficiency, thereby saving money by pumping more water with less horsepower.
Hammond and Chris Hall, also an engineer for Ollson, said the plan would show advantages of the parallel transmission lines as they prepare for large users such as the Tyson plant expansion in Green Forest coming online. Hall said the next part of the parallel line project would be another seven miles of 36-in. pipe as they continue installation toward Harrison.
Connell said the Master Plan update would assist him as he considers a move toward automation in the future. He noted there are challenges in keeping enough workers on undesirable shifts at the plant. The vote for Hammond to continue with the Master Plan was unanimous.
Hall said there is a new obstacle in the task of disposing of sludge in the tanks. A hauler is hired to transport the sludge to property where it is spread, but the property they have been using has changed hands. A possible new site near the present site is in Missouri, and Hall said there might be different regulations there, but did not anticipate a serious difficulty in complying. The problem might be negotiating a new contract with the landowner.
The board recommended Hall, Connell and board attorney Dan Bowers get together to develop and negotiate a new three-year contract.
Next meeting will be Thursday, July 19, at 10 a.m., at the Freeman-Raney Water Treatment Plant.