The Brown County Water Improvement District met Tuesday discussing their rules and regulations, a termination of a contract, and the fact that the new water treatment plant will not be operational for a couple of months.

The Brown County Water Improvement District terminated its contract with Crescent Construction who was contracted to work on a Riverside Park pump station and the water treatment plant.    BCWID agreed to pay the company $170,000 for termination and work completed on Riverside pump station and work done at the site. The company had not started any work on the treatment plant.

General Manager Dennis Spinks said he is sure the Texas Water Development Board will reimburse the district for the money although it may take a while.

In other business, the board tabled a discussion concerning possible amendments to the district’s rules and regulations regarding submersible pumps in Lake Brownwood.

Spinks said there have been questions raised as to whether the submersible pumps are safe in swimming areas. The board discussed whether safeguards could be made to ensure safety or if the pumps might need to be banned completely. The decision was tabled until the board could hear from master electricians and discuss the next step.

The board also approved hiring Burl Lowery as independent auditor for the district and appointed Pierre Osborne, Jay Timmins and Dennis Spinks as trustees for the district’s defined benefits retirement program.

During his report, Spinks told board members that the new treatment plant was not in operation because of the breakdown of the drives that moves the water, which failed because temperatures exceeded the maximum levels. Spinks said he expects the manufacturer to accept responsibility, but the plant is at a standstill until the drives can either be repaired or replaced. He said the plant could be down for up to two months.