After years of borrowing equipment from Yorktown, Runge’s city council voted to consider the purchase of a new sewer jetter during their regular meeting Dec. 11.

The status of Runge’s sewer jetting equipment has been shaky over the years.

"It was already outdated when they purchased the thing years ago," Mayor Homer Lott said during an interview after the meeting. "The pump is antiquated. You’re talking about $12,000 (to fix it) and when you get through, you still have an old machine, so it’s time for us to go and buy a new one."

A sewer jetter uses 1,500 pounds of water pressure to blast open blockage inside sewer lines and Runge has required the equipment about once every ten days, lately.

Problems with the city’s jetter have made it necessary for Runge’s city employees to borrow Yorktown’s equipment to get the job done.

"We work with Yorktown and Yorktown works with us, but it comes to a point where you can’t keep borrowing stuff," Lott said.

A new jetter could cost around $30,000, but council members may vote to purchase a refurbished unit for less. Either way, the city will have to purchase the item on credit seeing as the large expenditure is not budgeted.

Lott said he will bring back price information for a council decision during their January meeting.

Also during the Dec. 11 meeting, council members voted to keep the same city holidays as last year and to give each city employee a $75 Christmas bonus.