The 40 percent guess

The Hanna Town Council met at 6 p.m. on Jan. 9 to listen to Karl Smith from Engineering Associates speak about the new pipes to be installed in Old Town and Elmo. Pipes became the topic of the night when Mayor Tony Poulos asked Dave Sutter, Water Treatment Plant director, if he had found any leaks.

Sutter said leaks were not obvious anywhere.

Poulus said the town was losing water from leaks but recognized due to the age of the pipes and how many tunnels were underneath much of the pipe system, it was difficult to find where any major leakage was occurring.

Pat Gregory, council member, asked how much water was being lost.

“You don’t know for sure because number one, until recently we didn’t know how much water was coming in the plant because the meter wasn’t correct and number two, until we get all the metering systems set up in town, we can’t really know what is going through the system,” Poulos said. “Realistically it is a lot.”

He reminded listeners some of the pipes were over a 100 years old having been installed in 1908. Poulos said the average leakage for a pipe system in a municipality loses about 10 percent. He guessed Hanna is losing about 40 percent and that is why he is interested in finding any leaks possible.

“Every little leak we can find helps,” Poulos said.

Smith followed the discussion on leaks with maps of Hanna Old Town and Elmo showing where new pipes and meters will replace the old ones. During his presentation, he agreed with the mayor on how difficult it is to find a leak with the pipe system being so close to the mines under the town. He said putting in new pipes could help with the leakage problem.

The resignation of Recreation Board member Chelsey Smith was approved and a vacancy was announced. The purchase of a 2002 pump truck was approved along with wire fund transfer for a down payment to International Link Trucks and Equipment LLC.

Jeff Neimark, Hanna Town Marshall, said there were two arrests for domestic disturbance in the past month and he was happy to have Dan Starr, Deputy Marshall, go to full time. Neimark said 40 hams donated by a resident who wanted to stay anonymous, had been delivered before Christmas to families in need by the Marshal’s office.

Neimark said Ryta Sondergard, Community Relations Director for Sinclair Refining, had put him in touch with the welding department of the company to make a mobile mount for their speeding limit sign.

2018-477 Resolution supporting the submission of an application to Wyoming Community Gas for a grant in the amount of $684.14 for swimming supplies for the new after school swim program at the Hanna Recreation Center was approved

The council approved the annual contract with Corthell and King P.C. for attorney services.

The next scheduled meeting is at 6 p.m. on Feb. 13 at the Hanna Town Hall.