MANSFIELD — Mansfield City Council, on Dec. 6, demanded more answers from the city administration on the need for proposed water-rate increases.
On Tuesday, city engineer Bob Bianchi and his staff literally dusted off a 1937 report as part of the proof.
Included in a document titled “Report on Water Supply,” the National Board of Fire Underwriters warned the City of Mansfield nearly nine decades ago about its over-reliance on four-inch water lines and faulty fire hydrants.
At the time, water lines four inches or smaller made up 54 percent of the city’s nearly 78 miles of water mains, much of which were installed beginning in the late 1800s.
“The distribution system is weak with an excessive amount of 4-inch pipe.” It also said 442 of the city’s 480 hydrants “are of unsatisfactory size and lack large engine outlets,” the fire underwriters noted in 1934.
The NBFU was established in 1886 with the aim of preventing loss from fire and to protect property and lives from fire-related harms.
Though the board became co-opted by the American Insurance Association in the mid-1960s, its message was clear. Mansfield halted almost completely the installation of additional four-inch water mains after 1938.
The problem, Bianchi told City Council, is that almost 18 percent of the city’s current 339 miles of water lines are still comprised of four-inch (or smaller) water mains.
That poses a serious fire threat to city residents and a fire department that often has to fight with one arm tied behind its back in a community with 198 of 2,847 hydrants producing less than 300 gallons per minute.
According to national standards, to qualify as Class A, a hydrant must flow at least 1,000 gallons per minute. Any hydrants producing less than 500 gallons per minute are rated Class C — the lowest on the scale.
Bianchi said the city has 113 hydrants that have no water flow.
The 51-minute discussion during a public utilities committee comes two weeks before council is scheduled to vote on increases that will generate an additional $3.4 million annually.
Mansfield went 17 years without a water-rate increase before council approved a series of annual increases in 2019 that have not generated enough additional revenue to fund the department.
Mansfield is in the process of paying off two large bond issues from the water fund — an EPA-mandated $35 million upgrade to the water treatment plant and a project to replace all water meters in the city.
Without the increase, Bianchi told council on Dec. 6 there is no water infrastructure capital budget.
“I have the capital improvements (list) we hope to have done. It’s not a wish list, it’s a need. So I would say that if you plan on not passing this or you plan on reducing it, I would like council to look at this and tell us what we’re not gonna fund,” he said Dec. 6.
“Yes, this is a very difficult decision. But at the same time, we have got to say, if these rates don’t increase, there’s certain things that will not happen. And I think the public needs to know that,” Bianchi said.
The gist of the presentation and a discussion Tuesday that included fire Chief Steve Strickling is the proposed water rate increases will do more than make sure faucets and showers work in Mansfield homes.
The additional revenue will help replace small, century-old water mains with larger lines that will save lives during fires, Bianch told council.
During that meeting Dec. 6, council delayed voting on a proposal that would eliminate the lowest usage tier and also add a “readiness to serve” charge to each bill.
Those funds will allow the city to allocate about $850,000 annually to a capital campaign that will begin the replacement of 60 miles of four-inch water mains in the city, according to Bianchi.
Making matters worse is that old four-inch lines aren’t really four inches due to “pipe tuberculation,” which clogs the line with the formation of iron nodules as the steel corrodes.
“So where you have a four-inch main, you may actually only have an inch and a half main by volume,” Bianchi said.
“We need to prepare to start replacing these four-inch mains. We need to plan ahead and make sure that we don’t have a situation in 10 or 20 years where we have got a disaster on our hands,” he said.
Strickling said his firefighters rely on a GIS system to tell them as they are responding to a fire about the status of hydrants in the area.
“We have a lot of fire hydrants that won’t supply needed water for firefighting purposes. This is a big problem and it’s a big problem all over the city,” Strickling said.
The chief said Bianchi’s plan to spend $850,000 annually on water main replacements is conservative.
“It’s very minimal, but I know we’ve got a lot of other things you need to do with the water system, too,” Strickling said.
Council members had questions for the duo, but appeared more receptive than during the Dec. 6 meeting.
“I like how (Bianchi) summed it up,” said 5th Ward Councilman Aurelio Diaz, chair of the utilities committee. “It’s basically health and safety. We appreciate your factual information you keep providing us and making it accessible to the community and to the public.”
At-large Councilwoman Stephanie Zader asked the most pointed questions, including why replacing these smaller water lines has not been the administration’s priority in the past.
“Why did we wait so long until now? It’s a dire emergency for us to do this (now),” asked Zader, who also strongly suggested the city increase the fees it charges when developers wish to tap into the city water lines.
Bianchi said, “I think the point is that we’re planning for the future and that’s, that’s where we’re at today. We need to do something here. So I can’t speak for why since 1938, this hasn’t become a replacement program, but we’d like it to become one now.”
First Ward Councilwoman Laura Burns, participating via Zoom, suggested altering the plan to keep the lowest tier of service.
“Given that our residents need some time to process the changes, I think this would be a show of good faith that we understand where they’re coming from,” Burns said.
“However, the readiness-to-serve charge, the tap fees, those items must stay in place in order to provide for our city with the necessary infrastructure upgrades here and in the future,” Burns said.
Fourth Ward Councilman Alomar Davenport recalled voting for the increases in 2019 and how changes to the plan resulted in less revenue than needed. He asked Bianchi what would keeping the lowest service tier do to the city’s plans.
Bianchi said the city has 18,000 to 19,000 accounts and that some people will not see an increase when the lowest tier is removed.
“So you need to look at every account and I’ve done that. But I want to say that there’s this level of tolerance that needs to be had when I say what I’m gonna say. You’re looking at everyone’s accounts and people use water differently, next year may be different.
“So taking 2022 numbers, we’re about $600,000 we would lose in revenue if that first tier change does not happen,” Bianchi said.
“Now what does that mean? That means we’re going to have to go back and analyze where we’re at. But I can tell you (losing) $600,000 a year means that we will not be replacing water mains or doing other capital improvements,” the engineer said.
Third Ward Councilman Rev. El Akuchie asked Bianchi if the proposed increase would suffice going forward, a thought echoed by 6th Ward Councilwoman Kimberly Moton.
“For sure, I don’t want you coming back here in two years, three years, for us to start over again,” Akuchie said.
Bianchi said, “I believe it is.”
Diaz closed the committee meeting by encouraging residents to educate themselves about why the increased is being sought.
“I know what I’m going to vote on when it comes down to it. We’re not just thinking about our own wards, we’re thinking about the entire city. This isn’t territorial. It’s up to the residents to also take the initiative to look at all the information that’s been out there that you presented,” Diaz said.
Council is scheduled to vote on the proposed increases on Jan. 3.
