The Mitchell City Council approved purchasing $37,805 worth of software and equipment on Monday that will allow residents to monitor water use.
The portal will be capable of tracking water use on an hourly and daily basis, which could help property owners detect water leaks and water-related emergencies.
"This would allow customers to receive automated leak and high use notifications, according to their preference," Public Works Director Joe Schroeder said of the features included in the portal.
Among other notable features in the monitoring portal are city water alerts, service outage notifications and past due utility payment reminders. Schroeder emphasized each city water customer who opts to utilize the portal must select their monitoring preferences and notifications.
While the city has the ability to detect sudden surges in water use at properties, it can only be done if a city official notices abnormal water usage when periodically checking the operating system. It can take several days for the city to detect a major water use issue and have crews shut off a property owner's water.
If a water issue is detected, the city then sends crews to the respective property to further investigate. By the time high water use is detected and crews arrive on scene, a home could have sustained major water damage.
That exact scenario unfolded at Carroll Torberson's home a few years ago. Torberson, a Mitchell resident, was on a trip when a pipe broke inside of his home and resulted in a loss of 41,000 gallons of water over a four-day span. Torberson said the pipe break caused major damage to his home.
"When I was out of town, it took four and a half days before anybody found out my water was running," he said during a 2021 council meeting. "I had 41,000 gallons of water come out of my bathroom and take out my whole house."
In addition to the property damage Torberson's home sustained, he was facing a pricey water bill from the massive amount of water use resulting from the broken pipe. A local church experienced a similar situation recently.
Schroeder said the new software aims to avoid the type of issue Torberson and others have experienced.
"We're trying to get the notifications of high usage and water running somewhere before someone gets a really high bill and says, 'Woah, what happened?'" Schroeder explained.
Rolling out the new water monitoring system had the support of Councilwoman Susan Tjarks, who characterized the software purchase as a move that will save residents money and mitigate property damages in the event of pipe breaks or leaks.
"I can't be more thrilled about this. This is something the public — especially those who have damaging leaks while on vacation — will greatly benefit from," Tjarks said.
Schroeder said the portal does not allow customers to pay their water utility bills.
After exploring other water monitoring softwares, Councilman Tim Goldammer said he found several that included a utility payment option.
City Finance Officer Michelle Bathke noted utility bill payments can be made online through the city's website.
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