West Cape Taxpayers Tired of Waiting for Water Loss Solution

WEST CAPE MAY — The amount of missing water in the borough is increasing.
Kathy Gallagher, vice president of the West Cape May Taxpayers Association, brought data from public records to a Wed., Aug 11 Borough Commission meeting showing water loss in the second quarter of this year has increased compared to the past three years.
In 2007, the second quarter unaccounted for water loss from total consumption was 24.6 percent, increasing to 32.6 percent in 2008, dropping to 27.8 percent in 2009 and jumping to 40.1 percent in 2010.
“It’s higher than any other quarter just like the first quarter of 2010,” said Gallagher. “Guess what’s going to happen in the third quarter? It will be higher than the third quarter of all the other years.”
She said people in this community are paying for water that they are not using and they’re paying for water usage at borough hall and the farmer’s market.
“I’m tired of looking at this data, I’m tired of seeing this travesty go because we can’t afford a full engineering study or we don’t know what the problem is,” said Gallagher.
Last year, facing a $210,000 shortfall in the borough’s water/sewer utility budget, rates were raised nearly 22 percent.
Gallagher asked that residents of the borough “be released of this new increase and let the borough take on the responsibility of the lost water which is about 20 million gallons a year.”
She asked that water customer’s rates be lowered in the next quarter.
Mayor Pamela Kaithern said the water/sewer department is required to have a balanced budget and rates could not be lowered.
Gallagher said the borough took in more money in water revenue that it paid to Cape May to purchase water, which she called operating surplus. Kaithern replied the borough had staff to pay in its water/sewer department.
Taxpayers Association member Bud McDonough said the lost water was a borough problem which should become a tax item all residents share until it’s fixed.
He said 750 water customers absorb the cost of the missing water. The borough has about 300 residents who use their own well water.
Kaithern said she did not believe water utility costs could be paid from the general fund.
Gallagher complained a public meeting on the lost water was held in March and now in August, there was still no solution to the problem.
“Maybe in September we’ll get a report, just maybe,” said Gallagher.
She said she volunteered to assist in the water loss problem and expected the leaders of her community to come forth and help.
“I’m tired of looking at this data,” said Gallagher. “This community needs some help from its leaders.”
Kaithern said the borough has been informed by the City of Cape May had finished making copies of water flow records before and after 2002-2003. They will be given to forensic water accountants Eden Water Recovery, she said.
A meeting is scheduled with Cape May next week.
Borough Commission delayed passage of a resolution authorizing two grant/loan applications until the next meeting to U.S.D.A. for water system improvements.
Gallagher asked if the grant/loan applications requested funding to install master meters.
Kaithern send the grants/loans would cover infrastructure and several new meters.
Borough Engineer Ray Roberts of Remington, Vernick and Walberg, said the grant/loan applications would cover two new meters, one meter that will record water leaving the borough’s water main into Lower Township from Broadway and another to monitor the flow of water leaving the borough at its boundary on Sunset Boulevard.
He said there was currently no meter that could detect how much water is going out of the main before it hits the first customer’s meter outside of the borough. Roberts said the meters would be able to measure the water going outside of the borough, so it could be subtracted from the water coming in from Cape May to come up with water usage on a regular basis.
Roberts said there was a meter recording the amount of water coming into the borough from Cape May. The water goes into the Cape May service branches with one branch coming into West Cape May, another into Lower Township un-metered.
“If the problem was in that area, you wouldn’t know it,” said Roberts.
West Cape May’s water distribution system has been described as “wacky.” All of the water supplied to the Borough of West Cape May must travel through water mains operated by the City of Cape May. The flow of water is measured by master meters installed on the transmission mains that lead into the borough.
The water transmission mains within the Borough then supply water to the City of Cape May, the Borough of Cape May Point and the Township of Lower. The flow of water out of the Borough is again measured by master water meters installed on the transmission mains. The Borough is billed for the volume of water that is measured entering the Borough minus that which is measured leaving the Borough.