Several discrepancies with water meter readings prompted the Saratoga Water and Sewer Joint Powers Board to enter an executive session Wednesday night.
“There is a discrepancy between how much water is going out and how much water is being billed for,” said Public Works Director Chuck Bartlett.
PMPC engineers Ken Schwerdt and Gary Steele told Water and Sewer Board members Wednesday it appeared more water may have been supplied than was recorded used, according to data collected by the town.
The information prompted Bartlett and Sewer and Water Board members to enter an executive session, since the information could possibly lead to litigation, Bartlett said.
Schwerdt and Steele also told the board about 85 meters, in a 980-meter system, were not sending data to a computer at Saratoga Town Hall.
Schwerdt said the missing water usage data from the well fields could not be attributed to the 85 meters that were not reading.
“There are 900 meters reading and 85 not reading. Those 85 that are not reading are not going to use 8 million gallons,” Schwerdt said. “There is a different problem here.”
Several meters are also detecting about 100 leaks, which triggers an alarm. However, the detections may not be actual leaks, Schwerdt said.
Schwerdt explained the system is set to alarm when one gallon every hour for 24 hours straight will trigger an alarm.
“Certainly, a toilet running would trigger that alarm,” Schwerdt said.
“Things like a drip line running 24 hours a day will show up as a leak.”
Schwerdt said the system can be adjusted to only sound an alarm with more significant leaks.
At the end of the meeting, the Water and Sewer Joint Powers Board went into executive session with Bartlett and Steele present.
Bartlett said in a later interview, the board discussed the discrepancy with water usage and billing, but could not disclose further information.
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