Thursday, February 26, 2009

Lake lowering: Contingency plan initiated
Moderate drought stage exits, watering restrictions apply
Monitor Staff Reports
WEST CEDAR CREEK–West Cedar Creek Municipal Utility District directors implemented its Drought Contingency Plan Monday.
Cedar Creek Lake is now 319.4 feet, or 2.6 feet lower than its normal level of 322 feet above sea level.
The drop in water level constitutes a moderate drought stage, according to the contingency plan, directors heard.
What that means to residential water users is all efforts should be taken to conserve.
Under the plan, residential addresses ending in even numbers may use water for car washing, landscape watering and filling pools on even numbered days; odd-numbered addresses on odd-numbered days.
However, no sprinkler systems are allowed. All watering and washing must be done either by drip irrigation or hand-held trigger activated hoses or buckets/watering cans.
Only water fountains that recirculate water or support aquatic life are allowed to continue operating.
Absolutely no washing of sidewalks, driveways or structures and allowed, and no water use for dust control.
Those with a good reason for an exemption may apply to the District during office hours.
Surcharges will also apply. Residential customers using more than 10,000 gallons per billing period will pay $10 per each 1,000 gallons over the limit.
Those cited for violation of these conservation measures may be fined $100 per day of the continuing violation and/or terminated from receiving water service.
East Cedar Creek Fresh Water Supply District manager Bill Goheen said if the lake level falls to three feet below normal, the District’s customers will come under similar conservation restrictions.
“At all times, we need to practice good water conservation,” Goheen said.

Delafield opens expanded facility
Mabank plant expansion expected to create jobs
Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK–Mabank city officials, company employees and members of the Greater Cedar Creek Lake Chamber of Commerce were on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the first phase of a three-phase expansion plan for Delafield Fluid Technologies.
Originally three or four employees working inside the nearby Solar Turbines plant, Delafield Fluid Technologies (DFT) now employs 29 people and plans to employ more as it expands with an improving economy, operations manager Russell Lenz said.
Monday morning’s ceremony marked the completion of a 12,000-square-foot facility, more than double the size of the 5,500-square-foot Quonset hut the commercial/industrial fittings manufacturer has used for the past decade.
DFT employees construct brackets, hose assemblies and braided steel lines to handle high-pressure hydraulics, Lenz said. Solar Turbines is its largest customer.
Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., DFT now has major facilities in four cities, including Mabank, with approximately 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space under roof, president Nik Ray said.
“Right now, we have 171 employees,” Ray added. “This is the most modern structure we have. It’s impeccably done.”
DFT employees did all of the “trimming out” work on the office suite inside the new building, including the 3-D artwork – delicately formed metal sculptures cut and polished on the company’s own equipment.
During a brief address to the gathering, Ray said he had not seen any photographs of the new building in progress, but added that once he saw how “exquisite” the building looked, he’s not going to be showing pictures to staff at the company’s other facilities.
“We’d be looking at a lot of upgrades,” he said with a grin.
Ray said DFT is looking to expand into manufacturing fuel modules and ducting assemblies, which will create more job openings in the Mabank facility.
Administration and department manager Janiece Bracy said the building was dedicated in the memory of former general manager (and her brother) Larry Lee, who died Nov. 5, 2008, before his dream of a new facility could be completed.
Members of Lee’s family drove seven hours to attend Monday’s opening ceremony, Bracy said.
General manager Vivian Votava said the new building is the first of a three-phase expansion plan. A second building, located between the new structure and the original building, will be next. The third phase will replace the Quonset hut with a modern new structure.
“We’ve been moving equipment in here the last few months, getting ready to start,” she said.


Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Company president Nik Ray (with big scissors), operations manager Russell
Lenz (center) and general manager Vivian Votava (center right) cut a ceremonial
ribbon marking the opening of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Delafield
Fluid Technologies in north Mabank Monday, witnessed by employees, Mabank city
officials and members of the Greater Cedar Creek Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.


Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Visitors tour the interior of Delafield Fluid Technologies' new main building
Monday, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The building, the first of three
construction phases, covers approximately 12,000 square feet and includes
state-of-the-art manufacturing machinery.