Turkey Creek Council discusses installing shut off valves

TURKEY CREEK -- Turkey Creek residents that have new water meters installed may also have to now install their own personal shut off valve.
The shut off valve will allow customers to turn their water on or off without the assistance of town workers.
At the village’s Tuesday meeting, Willie Powers with the town’s water system addressed the council concerning issues they have been having with people using the village’s lock wing or shut off valve to turn their water on and off.
Powers said, “The problem we have is the customers sometimes use our valves as their own personal turn-on and turn-off valve. They think it’s a valve that can be turned all the way so they start turning it and eventually strip it out and then they have a leak.”
According to Powers, this then causes people to begin having water in their meter box, which village employees have to fix.
Powers said, “The only way to fix it is to remove our lock wing. We change about 10 to 12 of these a year, and they cost about $58 each plus pay for the workers.”
In their effort to figure out a way to keep water customers from breaking the village’s lock wing the council decided that they would amend their current water ordinance to now require individuals to have their own cut off valve installed before the village will set up their water meter.
Before the council can approve this addition to their water ordinance they will first have to have a public hearing, which has been set for 6:25 p.m. on December 15, 2016 at the Turkey Creek Community Center. The village’s regular meeting, as well as gumbo for the community, will follow the public hearing.
Other items approved at the meeting were:
• Implementation of a waiver to be signed by individuals who have the village’s police help unlock their vehicle if they have locked their keys inside.