What Will Valparaiso Do About Water Pressure Problems?

The increasingly cash-strapped city of Valparaiso had a long discussion about issues related to water pressure from homes in the city that revealed the potentially large (or not, depending on whom you ask) costs to fix the problems in the city.

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Kelly Irwin, a resident of Chicago Avenue in the city, noted after a home was built across the street from her – the water pressure to her home had become so low that she could no longer wash clothes at her home and that there wasn’t enough pressure to turn her water sprinklers on.

The commission has heard complaints about water pressure before – Mayor Brent Smith noted that he has issues at his own home as well. He laid the blame for the low water pressre at the feet of Eglin Air Force Base’s building height restrictions and the development of the area.

The commission discussed solutions, including installing booster stations and individual home pumps. Public Works Director Nathan Kelly explained the pros and cons of adding a booster station, noting that the cost could be significant, potentially reaching upwards of $750,000. The city has about one million dollars in total reserves and a roughly ten million dollar per year budget.

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Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Bob Bachelor recommended a cost-sharing approach between the city and its residents, where the city eats some of the costs of installing home pumps as a way to ease the water pressure issue – other members of the commission and public noted that this approach could be cost prohibitive as well.

He also noted that many people in the city do have adequete pressure – which might change to too much pressure if the city were to increase water pressure city-wide with a height addition on the water tower.

Niceville and Valparaiso Fire Chief Tommy Mayville noted that the water pressure is a significant concern for his department, who might not be able to put out fires due to low water pressure in certain situations.

The city decided to ask Valparaiso Public Works Manager Nathan Kelley to look at the cost-benefit of various solutions and report back as early as January’s meeting.