August 16, 2023 |
Photo – Rawlins Water Treatment Plant – Bigfoot99 file photo
Rawlins failed to meet EPA requirements for drinking water. The city did not correct the deficiencies in the allotted time.
On Monday, the City of Rawlins Government published a Facebook post stating the city failed an October 7th, 2020, Environmental Protection Agency inspection of the water system. Rawlins Public Works Director Cody Dill said screens on the city’s 40-plus-year-old water tanks were out of compliance with modern EPA standards. Dill said the screens are now being replaced.
The EPA also cited the city for failing to inspect the tanks used to store filtered water at the water treatment facility, called a clear well. Dill said the clear well was inspected before the EPA performed their survey, but the city hasn’t received the report from the inspection company.
Dill said the city is still waiting to receive clear well inspection results.
The public works director said the repairs weren’t done before the next EPA sanitary survey in 2022. Dill said the EPA was slow getting the 2020 report to the city and the repairs were simply forgotten about.
Dill said the screen repairs at the water tank farm will be finished soon. Once the city receives the clear well inspection report, it will be sent to the EPA. Dill said Rawlins will satisfy the governmental agency’s demands before winter.
On Monday, Rawlins officials issued a public notice that the city had failed to make the required EPA fixes to the water system. Dill said the city’s drinking water is unaffected by the deficiencies. The public works director said the way the city treats water hasn’t changed. Dill said the city simply failed to adapt to recent government regulations.
Dill said he wanted to reiterate that the city’s drinking water is fine. The new tank farm screens won’t affect the water supply. Dill said clean water from the Sage Creek Springs is still being supplied to residents.
