Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Water Project Rolling Along At Good Pace

By JOHN MILLER

Gurdon's Rural Water Project is coming along rapidly.

In fact, at the regular monthly meeting of the Gurdon Water and Sewer Commission, Monday, Aug. 18, the commissioners were informed the well was set Saturday, Aug. 16. Once the concrete sets, the contractors will put in screens and pump the water for 12 hours to see how much the well will pump.

If all goes according to expectations, the well, located near Gurdon High School, should pump around 350 gallons of water per minute.

Other business discussed by the commission included an update on the tree in the alley way on Eighth and Ninth and Joslyn and Seahorn streets. Hurst said Entergy had West Tree Service cut the tree at no cost to the city or water department. The water department then removed the tree once it was felled.

A survey by the Arkansas Department of Health shoed the city to be out of compliance with the implementation of a cross connection program. The rules governing the program went into effect Jan. 1, 1996, Hurst said.

The city must now draw up an ordinance stating the water department will enforce the installation of back-flow preventers on commercial water meters where there is a chance the water could go back through the meter, into the establishment and back flow into the city's water system.

This, he said, would contaminate the city's water.

Those who must have these back flow preventers installed include nursing homes, medical clinics, dental clinics, beauty shops, restaurants, car washes, fire systems and irrigation systems.

Along with having these preventers installed, he said, someone must be certified to inspect them on an annual basis.

The commission voted to ask the Gurdon City Council to pass an ordinance initiating the cross connection program. This will be done at the council's September meeting on Sept. 8.

Some 13 camp owners requested extending the rural water lines 3.5 miles to the camps in the Beirne area near the Little Missouri River if money is available. The commission voted to look into the possibility and if it's feasible to extend these lines.