Today's Feature

Computer Report Continues.

Ultreya Offers More Complete Analysis.

The Budget committee meets this evening at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers and will discuss the Ultreya computer upgrade report for the City.

City Administrator Tom Short reported at the City Council meeting last Tuesday that the Computer analysis had been resubmitted by Ultreya. According to Short, the newly submitted report offers some suggestions for a sequence of implementation for new hardware and software, and a projected first year maintenance cost.

The last presentation was given on December 13, 2004. When the Ultreya representative came before the Budget/Ways and Means Committee the committee was not satisfied with the report because it lacked several key pieces of information that had been agreed upon originally. The report was clear on the areas in which the City’s computer system was not up to par, but was not specific in the area of outlining a remedy. Further items missing were the estimated costs of implementing new software, and comparisons between different software and hardware manufacturers.

There is a natural tendency to always put the bread or roll on top of the heap I’ve noticed. Hardly anybody likes soggy bread, unless it’s under gravy or in puddin’.

I personally have had a couple a bad experiences with bread puddin’ and don’t care to experiment any further with that idea.

Some foods just work together I guess. Pork and beans, ham and beans, anything and beans. Why not pork and corn or ham and peas? There is corned beef, but I don’t think that counts. I guess it’s more habit than taste.

‘Course most of us have more bad than good in both categories.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Low Water Pressure

Q: We recently moved into a newly constructed house. The water pressure is low. Any ideas as to the possible causes of this problem? How can we fix it? — Sal D., La Plata, Md.

A: Because you are living in a new home, some of the common causes of house-wide low water pressure, including corroded pipes or replacement parts of an incompatible size, probably don’t apply. The problem may have been caused by an improper installation or simply by a contractor forgetting to open a water valve fully.

The first thing to check is the water meter. This is sometimes located in a small pit outside, protected from the elements by a meter box cover. It can also be found on the outside wall of a house. In addition to the gauge, two shutoff valves are located on either side of the meter. The valves need to be fully open to provide adequate water pressure in your home. It’s possible to open and close these valves yourself, but I’d recommend contacting the utility company to check and open the valves instead. If there are other problems with the meter, they will be the ones to make the repair, anyway.

The next point to check is the main shutoff valve in your house. It may have been partially closed by accident. Close the valve completely and then open it all the way, and check the overall water pressure.

Check the entire supply line — or as much of it as possible — for leaks or problem spots. Leaks are usually easy to spot, as you can see or feel moisture near the area. In a new system, they might occur around an improperly welded joint or through a faulty valve.

Another issue may arise if an irrigation system is installed on your property. Incorrect installation could result in low water pressure.

If the above problems have been ruled out or corrected, and the water pressure remains low throughout the house, start looking at issues that may have occurred during construction. For example, the underground portion of the main supply line, running from the street to the house, could have been damaged during installation. An obstruction in another part of the main line, like a pebble or impacted dirt, could also be the culprit. In this case, the builder should be contacted and arrangements made for the original contractor to fix the problem.