​​​​​Jericho Underhill Water District Underhill, VT

P.O. Box 174 Underhill, Vermont 05489

October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023

The Jericho-Underhill Water District provided drinking water and fire hydrant access to 326+ residential and business connections representing about 900 people within the District. During the past year drinking water supplied to the District averaged about 40,000 gallons per day.  Water delivered to District customers this year was of high quality and adequate quantity and met all State and Federal requirements.

Simon Operation Systems of Waterbury, VT was hired to be the licensed and certified chief operator of our system.  We were fortunate to hired Brian Picotte of Underhill as our Assistant Operator.  Brian has provided excellent day to day service and smooth operations.  The Trustees consisted of Joseph P. O’Brien, President from Underhill, Tanner Palmer, Trustee from Jericho, and Stephen Jennings, Trustee from Underhill. Nancy Benson served as Clerk and Treasurer. Andy Foresberg served as Delinquent Bill Collector and back-up support for the system.  Auditors were Vicki Milton, Harland Blodgett, and Bill VanDeVenter.   Marc Maheux continued to manage our website and was available for consultations. Helen Miller was our local water tester.

The fiscal year, October 1, 2022, started with planning to clean our two larger tanks on Maple Ridge and Poker Hill.  The contractor who cleaned the 10,000 gallon cistern earlier in the year decided to withdraw from cleaning the larger tanks.  The Trustees decided to plan cleaning in the spring of 2024.  The yearly required State Sanitary Survey was submitted to the State for review in November with all results reported being positive with the exception of three services to homes off the cistern on Maple Ridge.  Surveyors questioned the pressure readings to the three homes that may have been below standard. These homes use booster tanks to increase inline pressure.  After historic document review of over twenty-five years ago, the district provided information of exemptions to the pressure standards. 

Champlin Associates of Essex notified us in December that they were no longer providing system operations. The trustees searched for a new operator and contracted with Simon Operations Systems (S.O.S.) of Waterbury, VT.  S.O. S. became our certified Chief Operator in January 2023.  Beavers were active in November at the well site off of River Road.  A number of trees were felled by the beavers, with on tree falling on the data wires that connect well heads to the control building.  Clean-up required tree removal from the line that was stretched from the poles on each side of Browns River but not severed. ECI Construction Co. completed the work of reinstalling the wired back on the poles at the original heights across the river.

The District flushed hydrants twice last fiscal year, once in October and again in late April.  Flushing removes mineral deposits that settle in the main lines.  We also do extra flushing on some blow-off small hydrants where there is more mineral sediment. Some minerals found in water include calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron and zinc.  A few customers have experienced discolored water during flushing and at other times.  The cloudy water is caused by these minerals, mostly magnesium, being stirred up from the bottom of customers’ home supply lines.  Running outside spigots for three to five minutes will usually clear lines of the cloudy water. 

This has been a very successful financial year in providing safe and quality water that has met all State and Federal standards.  The Trustees wish to thank our employees and contractors for their work this past year.

Joseph P. O'Brien, President

Tanner Palmer, Trustee

Stephen Jennings, Trustee