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Bronaugh lays water lines, puts up tower
BRONAUGH -- The city of Bronaugh doesn't change water systems very often, so when it does it tries to build one that will last.
The trouble with the supply it had been using since 1959 surfaced 34 years later in 1993 with Missouri Department of Natural Resources warnings that the water here in southwest Vernon County had too many radionuclides.
Mayor Sherry Brown joined the Board of Aldermen's efforts to resolve the problem upon her 2006 election by helping get a $381,500 rural development grant and $295,000 loan with a 33-year term from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission in Clinton arranged a $400,000 federal Community Development Block Grant and the city contributed $34,076 for 15 fire hydrants for a total cost of $1,110,576.
Four-inch water lines and six-inch mains were laid along Maple, Ash and Oak streets to put up the first hydrants in the history of the town, which has 250 residents. "We passed a bond issue about six years ago that the voters overwhelmingly supported," Brown said. "I haven't tasted the new water, but we're hoping it tastes good. We're happy to be getting good quality water."
Contaminated by underground leaks, the old well at the east end of Fourth Street will be plugged and the new 775-foot-deep well activated after the new water tower is disinfected at Third and Maple streets.
Lines will be tested and samples submitted to MDNR, upon whose OK the new supply will course into the city's 113 meters. Testing starts Monday and City Water Operator Gary Loudermilk expects to be online within a month.
Naturally occurring radionuclides are atoms with unstable nuclei that emit gamma rays or subatomic particles, according to references.
On Thursday, workmen for Phoenix Fabricators & Erectors of Avon, Ind., were painting the 30,000-gallon tank in preparation to put "Bronaugh" on the east and west sides. Loudermilk said they considered adding "Wildcats" for Bronaugh High School's mascot, but there wasn't enough space.
Previous storage was in a ground level 2,000-gallon pressure tank. "The water will be quite a bit better," said Loudermilk.
City Treasurer Ann Loudermilk, his wife, said contractors were Lathrop Construction of Nevada, $452,857 for the lines, hydrants and pump house; Phoenix Fabricators, $303,319 for the 137-foot tower; Sherman Engineering Service of Bolivar, $120,446; and Harper Drilling of Clinton, $66,007 for the well.
Nevada attorneys McCaffree & Landoll got $40,000 and the Kaysinger Basin Commission $21,300 for CDBG administration.
"It'll be a good system if it lasts as long as the old one, which was only supposed to last 20 years," said Ann Loudermilk. "Before 1959, people used cisterns or dug their own wells."
Gary Loudermilk said the project went smoothly from the well's drilling in May 2009 through the recent work. "Jack Lathrop and his foreman, Tommy Gordon of Moundville, did a good job keeping on top of it," he said.
Bronaugh aldermen are Andy Brannan, Steve Hoye and Harry and Nancy Pitts.