Alva Review-Courier -

An emergency meeting of the Alva City Council was called for 5 p.m. Thursday after costs to fix a waterline break exceeded the $25,000 spending limit of the city business manager. Present for the meeting were councilmembers Daniel Winters, Garrett Lahr, Troy Brooks, Joe Parsons and Greg Bowman. Also attending were Mayor Kelly Parker, City Business Manager Stephen Ford and City Attorney Drew Cunningham.

The agenda listed one item: emergency waterline repairs. Mayor Parker said an 8-inch waterline on Apache Drive failed Wednesday afternoon about the time school was out. The city crews worked until about 1 a.m. when they put a patch on it, but it was obvious it would not hold. He said about 100 feet of line needs to be replaced and a couple of valves added. The estimate for repairs is about $35,000 to pay for work already done and what still needs to be done. This exceeds Ford's spending limit.

Parker said water has been restored to the south side of the break. However, the area north of the break including the high school and beyond is without water. A fire hydrant will also need to be replaced. Ford said the city has a fire hydrant in stock.

Parsons asked why 100 feet of line needs to be replaced to repair a break. Parker said the waterlines are old, and crews have work outward to locate good line to add a valve. He said they kept finding pinhole leaks as they uncovered more line.

Ford said the digging took a little more time as workers dug under a retaining wall and a sidewalk to preserve them for the property owner, although they were in the easement. He said they did have to take out a couple of trees. The break is located in front of the Ken Schultz property.

Parker said it is unknown how much repairs could cost. He recommended the council not set a $35,000 limit on repairs.

Winters made a motion, seconded by Bowman, to approve any and all action necessary to repair the waterline on Apache Drive. The motion passed 5-0, and the meeting was adjourned.