Council president wants answers on loss of water

By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer

ALLENTOWN – An ongoing loss of water from Allentown’s water distribution system has prompted a call for action from a borough official.

Borough Council President Wil Borkowski, who is the governing body’s representative for sewer, water and public utilities, said Allentown is losing 30 percent of its water through its distribution system. He said officials do not know why that is happening.

“This situation has been going on for several years and we need to get the ball rolling” and have the borough engineer look into it to try to come up with a solution, Borkowski said during the council’s Jan. 17 meeting.

He later expanded on his comments, saying, “We lose about 20 million gallons a year of unaccounted water. Over the summer I performed a little experiment. I filled a five-gallon bucket with water and measured the time. I recall it took 90 seconds.

“If that was accurate, if I left it running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, I would have needed enough buckets to hold 1.5 million gallons of water. I say that to explain how water lines more than 50 years old could be leaking 20 million gallons in a year.

“I first discovered the problem in 2013 investigating engineering water report discrepancies. As for a solution, the first thing is for the council to ask the Environmental Commission to annually track our water consumption reports so we stay ahead of the problem in the future. For the immediate future, we will address the solution under the council’s utility committee.
“Much of the cost comes from long-needed water plant maintenance, old distribution lines and an aging water meter system. We can use the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to finance the costs over 20 years, interest free. Using a three-year phased in construction approach, we could help see little to no more future rate increases. In the future, we just need to stay diligent with all functions government performs,” Borkowski said.

In other business at the Jan. 17 meeting:

• The council accepted the resignation of Cheryl Johnston-Willois from the Environmental Commission

• The council accepted the resignation of Madeline Gavin from the Mayor’s Ad Hoc Parking Committee

• Mayor Greg Westfall appointed Neil Linzmayer to two-year term on the Planning and Zoning Board as an alternate member

• The council appointed Nancy Tindall as chairwoman of the Environmental Commission

• The council appointed Janice Buchalski to the Environmental Commission

• The council appointed Richard Carter to the Mayor’s Ad Hoc Parking Committee

• The council authorized the Roberts Engineering Group to complete engineering services for improvements to the Pearl Street parking lot and to the Lakeview Drive parking area.

In regard to the Lakeview Drive parking area, Councilman Robert Strovinsky, who is the governing body’s representative for public property and public works, said officials “are evaluating the gravel parking lot on Lakeview Drive across from the old cemetery. We will be getting an estimate to blacktop that area. We are trying to alleviate parking and traffic issues in town.”

• Strovinsky said municipal officials want to add more trees “to try and improve the canopy of trees in some residential neighborhoods.” More information about the initiative is expected to follow.