Altoona Water Authority obtains liability release agreement for Lakemont home

Water pressure low on property due to high elevation

The Altoona Water Authority board at a recent meeting authorized a liability release agreement between the authority and a homeowner on Lake Vista Drive in Lakemont, under which the homeowner will accept extremely low pressure water service, although it will be supplemented with a booster pump the homeowner will install.

Due to the high elevation of the property, water pressure is just 15 pounds per square inch -- below the 20 psi to 40 psi range within which a booster is normally employed, according to Mike Bianconi, the authority's water operations director.

Even with booster pumps, there can be issues when the supply is at extremely low pressure, as there can be fluctuations in the supply lines, according to authority general manager Mark Perry.

Booster pumps increase the energy of the water flow but don't increase the available supply, according to online sources.

Water pressure from a public water system is typically between 40 and 60 psi for homes, according to online sources.

Pension plan 94.75% funded

The authority this year is responsible for paying $604,000 into its pension plan -- its minimum municipal obligation to the plan, according to controller Gina DeRubeis.

That obligation is based on the most recent actuarial evaluation of the plan, DeRubeis said.

Last year, the MMO was $655,000.

The plan is 94.75% funded.

"That is very good," said board member Jesse Ickes, a financial advisor.

The authority contributes six cents for every dollar earned by its employees.

Easements obtained

The authority has obtained easements to allow for rerouting of a portion of sewer main in Ivyside, due to the main being punctured by a "push pier" installed by a foundation repair company working on a garage.

The line was directly under one of the walls of the garage.

The line needs to be rerouted because the location of the garage foundation wall over the line prevents it from being repaired in place.

The authority paid a total of about $1,500 for the two easements.

The foundation repair firm is paying all the cost of repairs, although the authority is administering the work.

Employees for the firm failed to notify PA One Call of its plans prior to doing the garage repair.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.