In different contexts, water became the focal point of city council’s July 2 meeting.

Days after a thunderstorm wreaked havoc through the city, leaving thousands without power, residents, city councilors and Mayor William Reynolds praised the work of Public Works employees who quickly cleared the streets and restored power to residents within hours.

“It is really a difficult thing what they had to entail,” Reynolds said.

Reminding that tree branches aren’t snow, the mayor spoke of the work still needing to be done, especially near trails and parks.

In other business, Councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith asked Public Works Director Michael Alkhal for an update on the city’s water fountains.

According to Alkhal, the costs of restoring the city’s water fountains could run in the thousands for each one needing repairs. He assured, “We are trying to do this as smart as possible by evaluating the usage, if there’s demand for them.”

Explaining the causes of their deterioration, Alcock said, “Over time there were two major problems: they were not utilized frequently, and at the same time, they were constantly being vandalized.”

The issue of quality of Bethlehem’s drinking water was raised by concerned residents and council members.

Water and Sewer Resources Director Edward Boscola assured the water is tested “hundreds if not thousands of times a year,” meeting all state and federal regulations.

Councilman Bryan Callahan praised the work of Boscola’s department, citing a story of his late wife’s concern about the quality of water many years ago and how he had ordered testing on different water bottle companies and the city’s had the best results.

Callahan also raised the issue of the police department’s current openings with Police Chief Michelle Kott and Mayor Reynolds.

Both Reynolds and Kott explained they are working on finding candidates to join the ranks, with Reynolds adding, “We’ve hired everybody who has been able to pass all the requirements and offered them jobs. And they didn’t take jobs in other places.”