Approximately 113 people in the Russellville subdivisions of Modern Maid, Glendale and Highveiw feel they are being pressured to spend money they don’t have to upgrade their water lines and prepare for the city’s new water tank on Hospital Hill.

The 2,000-gallon tank was placed on the hill a few months ago and is now ready to supply additional water pressure to the valley below it, only residents who reside there are not too sure they want it now and about 20 of them descended upon Tuesday night’s city council meeting with a petition and spokesman Ron Taylor along with them.

Mayor Gene Zick addressed the issue first, explaining why the tank was put on the hill. He told the crowd that the city had received numerous complaints over the years about low water pressure in that area of town. He said the city is obligated by law to supply a minimum of 30 pounds (PSI) to customers as well as provide in excess of 500 gallons per minute for fire hydrants.

After the complaints, Zick said the city investigated that area and found some residents were only getting 20 PSI and certain fire hydrants were coming in at a 0 PSI.

“If someone’s house caught on fire near those hydrants the fire department would not be able to put it out,” said Zick adding, “The Kentucky Revised Statutes govern the city and they tell us what we have to provide to the customer. We had to put the tank in,” said Zick.

The residents became worried after receiving a letter from the city telling them that after the new tank went on line, they could experience problems – including failure to decaying water pipes or water heaters in their homes. Water Superintendent Melvin Smith said the rise in pressure could be from 15 to 20 pounds but would not exceed 100 PSI.

The letter recommended that all customers in those areas inspect their water lines and water heaters for weak spots before and after the tank is on line.

Smith suggested that customers who did not want the added pressure contact a plumber and have a pressure reducer valve installed on the customer’s side of the meter’ however, the pressure reducer must be purchased and maintained by the customer/owner and not the city. Smith also said that the city was not responsible and could not be held liable for broken water lines or water heaters on the customer’s side of the meter.

This caused a great deal of concern among numerous people in the low lying subdivisions, so much so that Modern Maid resident Ron Taylor went door to door to 75 homes asking what they thought and providing them with a unified voice Tuesday.

Taylor addressed the council on behalf of the 113 people he had spoken with. After going through the PSI facts and amounts of how much pressure reducers would cost, he said the residents in the subdivisions were on fixed incomes and some of them experienced ill health and didn’t think it was their problem to have to pay for upgrades.

“This will cause devastating circumstances that have never been incurred in this area before,” said Taylor who also expressed problems with the timing of the letter. “Residents received this letter within 30 days or less prior to the action proposed to be taken. We feel this is greatly insufficient time to do the proposed actions in your letter,” said Taylor.

Taylor asked the council and mayor why a pressure reducer was not thought about during the construction process of the tank and why it could not be installed at the main now to save the residents money on having to make the upgrades. “this would greatly resolve any problems,” said Taylor who submitted three resolutions, the first was asking for the city to place a reducer, or pay each resident in the lower lying areas for a pressure reducer or keeping the new tank off line for another six months to give people time to make the upgrades.

Mayor Zick thanked Taylor and the residents who came to the meeting and said they city would give the petitions due consideration and try to resolve the issue.

Zick said two pressure reducer valves had already been placed in the line but didn’t know as of yet what effect that would have.