SYRACUSE - Is the water safe to drink in Syracuse? How would you know?

Thanks to the 1996 Safe Water Drinking Act, residents will begin receiving mailings notifying them of the quality of their water.

Tom Miller, Severn Trent Environmental Services, gave a presentation to the Syracuse Town Council Tuesday on the Consumer Confidence Reports. Council President William Cutter received a package from Indiana Department of Environmental Management a couple of weeks ago explaining the reports also.

"Any community water system that serves over 10 people and is recognized as a water system is required to do a report," said Miller.

The report will include results from testing of organic, inorganic, lead, copper and other chemical testing. The first report is due Oct. 19 and the annual report will be due April 19 every year beginning in 2000.

Water testing has been conducted for years, but the new law makes testing results more accessible.

Miller said initially the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency left it up to the states on how to advertise the testing results. IDEM decided advertising in newspapers is not enough and requires the test results to be mass mailed to residents.

"It does allow us to explain to consumers what's in their water," Miller said. "I think it's also a good idea for us to publish it in a local newspaper, too."

Another presentation was given to the council by Greg Bucher on the Y2K situation in Syracuse.

He said during the last two months he has worked with the different departments to assess and rectify any computer problems the town may have with Y2K.

The process involved a five-step program. First, he said, they looked at the computer chips in the office machines. They assessed hardware and software. They looked at outside connections, he said, and then looked at the town's own infrastructure including NIPSCO, telephone, water and sewer systems. Finally, Bucher said, they looked at their contingency plan.

"There's really not much of a contingency plan we have to make up," he said.

Police Chief Bill Endler said he was concerned with the senior citizens in Syracuse if a Y2K problem occurs.

"I think that we need to pay particular attention to our older citizens. I think we need to get to know who they are in case there's a problem," Endler said. He said he has started a list of who the senior citizens are in the town.

In other business, fire chief Larry Hunter said the fire department had a training session last month. Liberty Homes, south on Ind. 13, donated an old trailer for the training. Hunter said the training was made more realistic because they were able to use a smoke stick, which makes smoke similar to an actual fire.

After the training, it was decided that more such training sessions need to take place.

Public Works Superintendent Kent Thielka said he will be able to store a donated trailer near the shooting range. If the trailer remains locked up when not in use, town attorney Robert Reed said, there should not be a big liability concern.

"I think there are more positives to this than negatives," Reed said.

The council approved the use of the trailer.

Hunter also said the fire station will hold an open house June 19. There will be blood pressure tests and a dunk tank, and hot dogs and soda will be sold. The council approved closing Henry Street from Ind. 13 to the alley on June 19.

Susan Neff, park department superintendent, said the beach will officially open Memorial Day weekend. Lifeguards will be on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during that weekend. Beginning June 5, lifeguards will be on duty seven days a week after school lets out for the summer.

The park department is receiving applications for lifeguards, a weekend maintenance person and a part-time clerical assistant.

Neff also said the public library will hold its annual "Storytelling in the Park" series Friday mornings at 10 a.m. at the gazebo from June 4 to July 30. The first "Music in the Park" concert is June 10 at 7:30 p.m. and features the Lake Area Community Band. [[In-content Ad]]