Byrdstown Seeking Funding To Replace Old Water Meters

The Byrdstown Board of Aldermen approved a grant application Monday to fund a water meter replacement project.

Mayor Sam Gibson said the town wants to install new meters that would automatically read water use.

“The grant would take care of all of our technical equipment here in the office, and then we could save money on the individuals and labor it would take to read them, so it would be a good thing for Pickett County,” Gibson said.

Gibson said the project would lessen water loss since old meters often misread. Gibson said the $630,000 would replace the majority of meters across the county.

“That would get a considerable long-way in doing that,” Gibson said. “Then we could just look in the future of adding to it, but that would take care of the initial investment on the computer network.”

Byrdstown serves about 2,300 meter in the county.

The grant application is due by April 15th. The town was not successful in its Community Development Block Grant application last year.

“Everyone is eventually going to them, so it would give us the opportunity to get a step ahead,” Gibson said.

In other business, the Board of Aldermen recognized its sole audit finding from the State Comptroller’s Office Monday. The report found the town to not appropriately segregate duties. Gibson said the finding has reoccurred for the last 7-8 years since the town can not afford multiple employees to oversee operations.