The Pine Cove Water District Board of Directors and General Manager Jerry Holldber heard a presentation about a comprehensive tank maintenance program available from Utility Service, a Perry, Ga., division of the French company Suez Environment. The presentation occupied much of the Wednesday, Feb. 8 board meeting.

Mark Wash, Utility Service’s water system consultant, and John Snodgrass, regional sales manager, used an analysis of one of the district’s tanks to tout the benefits of their company’s long-term tank specific contract. By having one company cover tank coating and maintenance, the benefit, according to Snodgrass, is in having fixed predictable expenses go into budget forecasting. Per-tank contract fees are locked for three years, and Utility Service handles all maintenance, including any unforeseen damage (Snodgrass used bullet holes in the tank as one example). Fees can adjust up to 5 percent annually, or up to 15 percent for three years. The team promised to provide Holldber with specific fee figures for an initial three-year, one-tank contract. Holldber will share those with his board.

In his general manager’s report, Holldber reported that the district had sold 95,000 gallons at 2 cents per gallon to the Forest Service for fighting the Lawler Fire and had been paid $1,900. He also reported the district is working on ID cards to be worn by employees in the field.

January 2012 production is down from same time last year by about 662,000 gallons (nearly 23 percent). The water level of static measuring well no. 10 is holding, Holldber reported.

“It’s exceptionally high even with no moisture [precipitation],” he noted. Water loss is at 11.5 percent, which Holldber noted was high for the district.

The board updated a previous resolution on the use of criminal history for volunteers and contract employees in order to facilitate new background check procedures.