City asks for federal funds
The full extent of joys and letdowns has yet to be seen, but the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been passed by Congress – and the Hazen City Commission is hopeful it will help them purchase and install new water meters. In a meeting of the commission Monday evening, the commission approved a letter requesting placement on the Drinking Water Project Priority List and $215,000 from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for installation of new water meters that will replace outdated meters throughout Hazen. The $315,000 project is set to begin with installation June 15, with completion targeted for Aug. 31. The city has $135,000 budgeted to help offset costs. After April 1, the estimated project cost increases by 5 percent. In a letter to Jeff Hauge of the North Dakota Department of Environmental Health, City Auditor Sandy Bohrer wrote, "We are environmentally concerned about the high amount of unaccountable water that is a waste of a natural resource. Approximately 78-80 percent of the city’s water meters are over 25 years old, at which they have passed
