Asking for residents' help, the Walnutport Authority said at its meeting Tuesday night that this has been an especially brutal winter for water-related concerns in the borough.

Chairman Ron Kuntz said there have been an unusually high amount of water main breaks this year, at least six or seven since Christmas, because of the extremely cold weather.The authority asked residents to report any water main breaks they spot by calling the authority at 610-767-7887. If calling after hours, the answering machine will provide a number to be used only in case of emergency.Members explained that a break may look like a small stream coming from cracked and bubbled up macadam. They added that most breaks occur in the middle of the street.Kuntz also said they've already used cold patch on some breaks but that it's not working because it's still too coldIn addition, he said, "We ask people to shovel out the fire hydrants … because they're starting to get buried."Kuntz noted that every fire hydrant within the borough is located just inside the curb line on private property and that, if not shoveled from beneath this winter's sometimes deep snowfalls, "If there's a fire, (firefighters) will never find it."In other news, engineer Jason Newhard announced that the Heimbach Filtration Plant, the borough's new water filtration system just north of Kmart on Alder Drive, is set to be tested by Kershner Environmental Technologies from just outside Baltimore, Md., starting Wednesday, Feb. 19.Newhard did note, however, that the borough can't introduce new water into the system until it's approved by the Department of Environmental Protection. He said if all goes well in both cases, the plant should be online soon.Also, after having received two quotes for the position, the authority selected a new auditor.Last month, the group had hesitated when discussing the reappointment of Bob Tucker as its auditor, noting that, though Tucker has been its CPA for close to 20 years, it has been difficult in recent months to contact him.Therefore, after trying again to contact him, secretary Bob Treskot gathered two estimates for CPA services, one from Gary Frey and Co. of Walnutport, for $5,500, including a $2,000 discount; and one from Kirk, Summa & Co. of East Stroudsburg, for a range not to exceed $5,000.Authority members unanimously approved a motion to appoint Kirk, Summa & Co. its 2014 auditor, in part because they said the company is already the borough's auditor and does a good job.