As budget season descends on city hall, Auburn officials will decide whether to dedicate money for the city's ongoing struggle to combat hemorrhaging water pipes and the steady loss of treated water.

In the spring, city officials stated the city did not bill for nearly 45 percent of processed water. Some Auburn departments used unmetered water, so only about 35 percent of treated water was unaccounted.

Auburn leaders hired New York Leak Detection Inc. to examine the city's 108 miles of aged water lines for leaks and weaknesses. The Jamesville-based company worked off and on from April to August scouring the city's infrastructure.

Superintendent of Public Works Jerry DelFavero will present the detection company's findings at Thursday's Auburn City Council meeting. They will discuss what faults crews already have corrected, what needs fixing, and how much water left through leaks.

The American Water Works Association states Auburn should lose 20 to 30 percent of water or less as it travels through the system. With recent and pending changes and repairs, the city will fall into that category, DelFavero said.

The city's future course of action will depend on the information DelFavero will bring to council, Mayor Michael Quill said. So far, the city has mended weaknesses in its reservoirs, replaced or installed meters, and calibrated existing measuring devices.

City Manager Mark Palesh and council may have to examine how water is used in the city so they know where all water is going and how much, even if the city won't bill for the total gallons leaving the filtration plant, DelFavero said. Contractors may hook onto hydrants to use the water, for example.

Despite working to correct its current issues, DelFavero realizes the city will have problems that arise in the aging system. A flaw can develop after leak detectors check an area multiple times, DelFavero added.

“Things do happen,” DelFavero said. “There's always going to be issues.”

Quill said he would consider allocating money to search for leaks annually, depending on the amount and other city needs. Yearly probes would be smaller in scale than the one recently completed.

“We should not spend money to purify water and make it drinkable just to lose the water through leaks,” Quill said.

Department heads already are drafting budget requests. The council has to approve a financial plan before the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

The city prioritized defects based on how much water that flaw is responsible for leaking, and if any infrastructure is affected. Catching system weaknesses early can prevent damage to other infrastructure, such as the roads running over the water lines.

“It's a process that never ends, in my opinion,” Quill said. “We have to stay on top of this continually.”

The city already has done a lot to identify where the leaks are and to fix some of the problems, Quill said.

“The savings when we find the leaks pretty much offset the costs,” DelFavero said. “It's money well spent.”

Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net

If you go

What: Auburn City Council work session

When: 6 p.m. Thursday

Where: Council chambers in city hall, 24 South St.

Who: Public is welcome to attend but will not be able to comment