SPANISH FORT, Ala.—Spanish Fort Water System Inc. is nearing completion of an aggressive project to upgrade and document the city’s fire hydrants, but the private undertaking will require public financial support to continue.

Distribution Manager Jason Evans said the water system has spent around $70,000 to date on the project that began in late 2009.

The process involves flushing and flow-testing all 557 hydrants under contract with the company as well as replacement of outdated hydrants. Once completed, the $200,000 project will also generate both global-positioning and hydraulic maps pinpointing exact locations and flow capacities for all hydrants.

Evans said Spanish Fort Water anticipated the substantial upfront costs because the company opted to contract with an engineering company to provide the mapping services, but principals were surprised to learn ongoing annual testing could cost as much as $30,000 per year, or about $54 per hydrant.

“When they came back with that, we hit the floor,” Evans told members of the City Council during Monday’s informal work session.

Because the project is a joint undertaking of the water system and the city’s volunteer fire department — and considering about 80 percent of the hydrants in question fall within Spanish Fort’s city limits — Spanish Fort Water officials would ideally like for the city to foot one-third of the $30,000 annual upgrade costs going forward, with the company and the fire department providing the remaining two-thirds.

Mayor Joe Bonner said he does not expect an immediate answer from the council, but he would like city leaders to consider the request and provide feedback in the coming weeks because the return-on-investment of annual inspections could ultimately lower.

At the very least, Spanish Fort Fire Chief Roger Few said the addition of annual inspections could improve the city’s fire rating from a 5 to a 4 on the 9-point ISO scale, brining it on par with the city of Daphne.

Evans did say the $30,000 annual amount moving forward once the initial $200,000 project is completed could be lower because only one of three subcontractors has responded with a quote.

“The water system certainly went out on a limb to do this, and we certainly appreciate it,” Few said.

In other business the council:

*Listened during the regular meeting to Darrelyn Bender’s educational presentation for the next phase of the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce’s “Blue Prints for a Better Tomorrow” campaign.

Bender, the chamber’s president and CEO, will return to the council’s Nov. 15 work session to discuss Spanish Fort-specific details and answer any questions regarding the chamber’s request for ongoing financial support from the city in the next five-year plan.

*Approved unanimously a resolution authorizing the proper disposal of a 1998 Ford Ranger, deemed surplus property.

City Hall will be closed Nov. 11 in observance of Veteran’s Day with offices re-opening at 8 a.m. Nov. 12.

The next regular meeting of the council will begin with a 5 p.m. work session in the conference room at City Hall on Nov. 15, followed immediately by the regular meeting at 6 p.m. at the Gathering Place in the Prodisee Center.