Representatives for the Texas company hired to study the city’s water system and the county’s five water service districts will meet with city and water district officials Tuesday.

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. announced the meeting Friday at a special board meeting to hire a contractor for debris cleanup and sign a contract with Trilogy Engineering Services of Houston, Texas, for the water system study. The company has an office in Jackson.

The board on March 15 accepted Trinity’s $99,840 proposal to examine the city’s water treatment plant on Haining Road, the city’s water distribution system, its future needs and examine the water districts to allow for future planning. 

According to a schedule included in the contract, Trinity began its investigation on March 15 and will present its report by June 7. The Tuesday meeting is part of the company’s agreement.

As the city and recovered from a paralyzing weeklong winter storm that created problems for the city’s water system, Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said on Feb. 22 that he wanted to upgrade the city’s water system to avoid future crises like the one that occurred during the storm.

Flaggs said he wanted a comprehensive evaluation of the city’s water system called a capacity study to evaluate the plant’s capacity for the city and its customers, including the two water districts — Culkin and Yokena-Jeff Davis — that buy water from the city.

He later added the Hilldale, Fisher Ferry and Valley Park Water districts, which buy no water from the city.

Flaggs said in February the study would recommend how to modernize the system to identify leaks, control water pressure and how much water can go to a home during a crisis.

“It makes no sense in 2021 to chase water (leaks) on foot,” he said. “It makes no sense for our workforce to chase leaks when we can have an automated system that will identify them and alert us. I know it can be done.”