AUBURN -- Since March, workers have hustled to keep the flow in nearly half the city's waterlines from leaking.

After learning the city fails to bill for nearly 45 percent of its treated water, city leaders implemented a plan to identify where the water is going, and figure out how to reduce that number by half.

Public Works Superintendent Jerry DelFavero updated the Auburn City Council Thursday on the work done to tackle the problem of lost water. The city hired New York Leak Detection Inc. to survey the system.

Auburn processes 7.1 million gallons a day. Nearly 3 million remains in Auburn, whereas 1 million gallons flow outside the city. This mean 322,000 gallons are unaccounted for, and 555,000 gallons are lost through leaks.

The consultant from NYLD said to city manager Mark Palesh and DelFavero that Auburn was one of the worst cities he's ever seen.

"But he told everyone not to panic. It is fixable," DelFavero quickly added.

Workers already have scoured the infrastructures in the city's north half for leaks. City employees are looking to install meters in city facilities such as the waste water treatment plant and the joint police and fire station in the city's center. The plan also includes calibrating existing meters.

For more, read Friday's Citizen