Category: Uncategorized

Ruby Ranch Water Supply Corporation will hold an open meeting on Tuesday, April 26, 2016 at 6:00 P.M., at 292 West Bartlett Drive, Buda, Hays County, Texas 78610. The meeting agenda may be viewed here

The Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer annual well water checkup and open house is next week. There are still slots available for residential wells, if you’d like to sign up and stop by to pick up a sampling kit. Sample day (when you’ll need to bring your water samples to the office) is next Wednesday, April 13, 2016 before 1:30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well Water Checkup and Open House
US EPA’s rules that protect public drinking water systems do not apply to individual water systems, such as privately owned wells. As an individual water system owner, it is up to each well owner to ensure that their water is safe to drink.

The Edwards and Trinity Aquifers are karst aquifers that can receive rapid recharge during storms. Bacteria, nitrate, and salinity screening can be a good indication of how connected a well’s water supply is to surface water and surface water contaminants.

Each year, the District hosts the free Well Water Checkup and Open House to help our well owners learn more about their well water and answer questions about water quality, geology, water conservation, and alternate water supplies.

There are still slots left for this year’s well water sampling. It is limited to the first 75 District well owners to stop by to preregister and pick up sampling supplies and instructions. Call (512-282-8441) if you need to pick up the sampling kit after hours and staff can help fill out the preregistration form.

On the first weekend of February some of our residents located far south of Onion Creek reported low water pressure levels to PGMS, the operator of our water system. On Saturday evening PGMS determined that plant # 2, located at the end of Ruby Ranch Road and which usually serves residents mostly south of Onion Creek, was not functioning properly and it was taken off-line. At that time, they opened an interconnect valve to plant # 1 so it could service the entire subdivision while the problem with plant # 2 was resolved. There was no need for a boil water notice since the system was not breached and the system water pressure level did not fall below prescribed minimums. On Sunday morning some residents reported noticing their water had an off color, most probably due to insufficient flushing when the interconnect valve to plant # 1 was opened. PGMS flushed lines at multiple locations on Sunday and did extended flushing again on Monday after continuing to get complaints of discolored water on Sunday. Via a Monday, 2/8, post on the RRWSC website – rubyranchwater.com – residents were encouraged, if they still had discolored water in their homes, to run faucets to clear it out any remaining discolored water in their home.

The diagnosis of the problem with plant # 2 which precipitated this problem yielded two causes. The first issue was a bad water level sensor which let the water level in the ground storage tanks get lower than desired. The second issue was the auto-dialer (which was triggered by another low level water lockout sensor) was unable to call out to PGMS due to a telephone line fault. Both issues have been resolved and PGMS has update its line flushing protocols (higher flush rates and volumes plus more locations) which should address discolored water concerns in the future.

There were some reported problems – long waits, misinformation, and no call backs – with the PGMS after office hours emergency phone system. PGMS is working with their answering service to improve their response via this system.