OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — The Osage Beach Board of Aldermen on Thursday approved spending up to $50,000 to buy new water meters that use ultrasonic technology to measure water flow.
The good news—for the city—is the new meters will be much more accurate. That will reduce water loss, which costs the city thousands of dollars each year.
The bad news—for some—is the new meters will be much more accurate. That means customers whose water use has been underreported will have to start paying for all the water they use.
Public Works Director Nick Edelman explained that water loss is a problem for every city.
“You’re never even in terms of what you pump and what you sell,” he said. “But one of the things we realized is with this [ultrasonic] meter, that ratio looks much better.”
From the perspective of the city – and its taxpayers – that’s good news.
But from the perspective of water customers, the first water bill after installing the new meters might be jarring.
“One of the biggest ones that we changed is School of the Osage,” Edelman said. “When we put it in, their usage almost tripled.”
Actually, the school’s usage probably didn’t go up at all. But the meter more accurately recorded the school’s water use.
Edelman said the problem is unique to meters larger than 3 inches. Most single-family homes have smaller, compound meters that typically are quite accurate for the low water flows they handle.
But large condominium or apartment complexes often require larger meters to handle the higher water-flow needs. In the past, the city had to use either compound or turbine meters. The compound meters are accurate, but, Edelman explained, they’re not fire-flow rated.
“There’s no guarantee that if there’s a fire the volume of water will be sufficient,” he said.
Fire-flow rated turbine meters have a different problem.
“Their low-flow accuracy is not that great,” Edelman said
The ultrasonic meters are the best option, he said, and the city hopes eventually to install them for every meter larger than 3 inches. So far, the city has installed them at Worldmark Resort, School of the Osage, and one of the city’s well houses.
Grandview Point and Fountainview Landing Condominiums are two of the complexes that likely will receive the new meters, Edelman said. Other large condo complexes will follow.
Edelman said the city will notify customers before the new meters are installed to explain that their water bills might change dramatically.
In other business, the board approved:
- A stop sign on Formula Drive at its intersection with Passover Road.
- A contract for $12,000 for a medical director services contract with Dr. Alan Wilson of Camdenton. The contract will take effect on Oct. 1, when the existing contract with Dr. Robert King will be terminated. Dr. King has moved his practice to Columbia, and city officials said a local doctor was needed to provide medical services for the city’s ambulance service.
- A resolution to re-appoint Floyd Handy, ambulance supervisor, as the city’s representative to purchase necessary controlled substance for use by the Osage Beach Ambulance Service.
- The preliminary plat for Arrowhead Centre at the corner of St. Moritz and Highway KK. The plat is for a single, 14.1-acre tract that will be the site for a skilled nursing and assisted living facility.
- A corrected invoice from World Wide Technologies Inc. for Microsoft Software Licenses for an annual renewal fee of $24,556.
- The Police Department’s purchase of 16 Panasonic Arbitrator in-car video systems at a cost of $104,776.
- The Police Department’s purchase of six Panasonic CF 54 Mobile Data Computers for $18,402.
- Mayor John Olivarri read a proclamation declaring July to be National Parks and Recreation Month in Osage Beach.
