By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
Residents expressed frustration, as a large crowd representing various neighborhoods with undrinkable water was in attendance during Monday’s city commission meeting.
During the meeting, city staff went over the "Water Rate Relief Pilot Program."
Read more: Financial relief program for Salina residents with undrinkable water to be considered
City Manager Jacob Wood said he spoke to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and said no other community is doing this plan, and that this program they are intending to create is "from scratch." He said this program will not propose to rebate the fees associated with other utilities such as trash, recycling, and other non-related water services.
He added the city has received about 20 complaints consistently from residents living on Dover, 10th, 11th and Larson.
Wood mentioned this plan will be evidence-based by testing water quality for those who will be eligible for the program.
Moreover, Wood commented that he has to consider the city's water employees regarding the program.
“I have to think about my staff to be able to manage this type of program. Staff work hard and do care about the water quality,” as Wood also addressed the about seeing negative comments on Facebook and said it weighs on the employees.
“These guys work hard, and I am proud of the work they do. We can certainly do better, but these projects are hard work, and it’s not an overnight fix, but we are doing the best we can,” said Wood.
Commissioner Doug Rempp proposed installing a house filtration system to be set up in a home.
Rempp spoke to Culligan (a global water treatment and services company specializing in water softeners, filtration systems and drinking water solutions for homes) about the house filtration system, and said laundry would not be an issue thereafter.
Commissioner Trent Davis said doing both programs would help, which involves the rebate for Water Base Charge, Water Usage Charge, and State Water Fee that appear on monthly billing statements and the filtration system setup.
Wood added that a filtration system typically requires a lot of maintenance and would not want his staff to work to that degree in a resident’s home.
However, Wood stated that he is open to any revisions after their comments.
Davis also said he would like to move back the eligibility for the rebate of covered water charges to January 2025, which would be a change from the initial January 1, 2026.
Hoppock said he agreed with this as well.
As the item continued into the public comment period, a resident brought up the consideration made from city staff of getting extra funding from water bills on replacing water lines, based on comments made from last week’s study session.
Sharee Spratlen brought up the plan does not bring relief for appliances that have been ruined. She also showed a water bottle that was undrinkable, taken from a household with infants.
Another resident said their dog “smelled the water and walked away.”
Other concerns brought up were with animals on drinking water, saying it is not safe for household pets to drink the City of Salina’s water.
City Commission’s decision:
The City Commission decided to approve the program with amendments that included:
- The of covered water charges to January 2025.
- Set up of a house filtration system costing $750.
- Development of special circumstances for residents who do not have sufficient funds to afford the water filtration system.
Salina Post will provide updates on this developing story.