Background/Purpose of Request:
Residential and irrigation meter installation requests have been increasing significantly each year due to ongoing growth within the County. Meter installation requests are outpacing the current installation rate by far and most new homes require not one meter but two - a residential meter for the house and a separate irrigation meter. In calendar year 2021, a total of 1,663 meters were installed. Through only 6 months of 2022, 1,772 meters have been installed and it is projected that 3,544 meter installations will be needed through the end of the year. Moreover, all work order requests are trending significantly higher this year than last year and last year’s numbers were some of the highest on record. In 2021, 5,517 work order requests were processed, and it is projected that through calendar year 2022, 7,462 work orders will be requested. Even with assistance from other crews, the work order crew of four is no longer able to keep up with the increased requests for new service.
Additionally, the increased number of highway improvement projects (NCDOT), new water line construction projects, and new and re-initialized subdivision projects has increased the need for water line shutdowns, hydrant flow tests, and line acceptance testing. Often these connections must be done at night which disrupts the standard work schedule during the day. The two staff members typically responsible for the critical job of adjusting valves, reintroducing pressure into the system after a shutdown, and testing water quality and pressure are unable to keep up with the non-standard requests as well as their typical water quality testing responsibilities.
In order to keep up with the additional work requests, it is recommended that three new positions be approved (two mechanics for the Work Order Crew and one for the Water Quality Crew), along with necessary equipment, tools, and materials. The consideration of using a contractor to complete some work orders is also recommended. Using a contractor will help to reduce backlog to a manageable level while ensuring that there is not excess staff in the event that development-related work orders begin to tail off. The year one cost for additional staffing and the associated equipment and materials is estimated at $471,531 and the ongoing annual cost for salaries are estimated at $229,531. A breakdown of the costs is enclosed along with an analysis of the increased work orders. If it is determined that a contractor can assist with customer-requested work orders, this will be bid out and a contract will be brought to the Board for approval in the future.
Staff recommends approval of three additional staff and their associated materials and equipment to facilitate the increased number of work orders due to growth, current and upcoming new utility projects, NCDOT water line relocations, and the increased number of subdivision projects, as well as approval to explore using a contractor to reduce the customer work order backlog. |