KANOPOLIS — Water topped the agenda of the Kanopolis City Council. This time, however, it wasn’t over the extensively delayed proposed water tower. It was about the lead pipe replacement plan.

“It has to be done,” Maintenance Supervisor Mike Bunch said of the questionnaires the city sent out to residents.

The city needs to identify which residences still have lead or copper pipes.

“Unknown is still considered to be lead pipe,” he said. “If you get a response, they think you’ll get leeway. If you get no response, it’s considered lead.”

Bunch said the city’s main lines do not contain lead or copper. The city does not have records of every residential address, however.

City Clerk Deb Kralik said the city sent out 312 surveys, and as of the July 9 meeting, only 115 were returned.

“The impression I got was this would get extended out,” Mayor Anthony Hopkins said.

Bunch said at a recent meeting, the Oct. 1 deadline was reiterated.

“It is imperative you have something in paper from the person living at that address saying what the water line is,” he said.

One option is to assign a $50 charge for city employees to manually check houses that have not replied to the original survey.

The city clerk’s office will include another survey with bright paper in the upcoming water bill with the hope more residents will return the information.

“To my knowledge, there’s not penalties on municipalities,” Hopkins said. “There’s only so much we can do. We can do our best to raise awareness of the importance of it.”

In other action, the commission:

• The city paid $1,072 to Evan Warta for planting 26.8 acres as part of the Drinking Water Protection Program.

• Approved a skid steer contract with Carrico Implement for up to $5,000 for a one-year lease. The lease would include 200 hours of use.

• Approved insurance for Fort Harker Days at a cost of up to $1,000.

• Bunch said the city park bathrooms are being vandalized.

“(There are) footprints on the walls where they’re kicking the walls,” he said. “They’re peeing in the corner of the boys’ bathroom.”

• Discussed the bleachers at the old football field. The city will offer them to Ellsworth Recreation.