August 31, 2022 |
In Rawlins, the city’s water storage tanks are refilling, but not fast enough for officials to lift the ban on watering lawns.
Construction crews completed connecting the last of the new pipes to the springs south of town late last week, but stream flows have not increased as much as staff and contractors had hoped.
City Manager Sean Metcalf said the treatment plant is processing the usual combination of spring and well water, but streams flows are lower than expected. Metcalf said the job of replacing 10,000 feet of century-old wood pipes with PVC was completed on Friday but water is apparently going missing somewhere along the transmission line.
Pictured above: Water storage tank in Rawlins. Photo by Cali O’Hare/Bigfoot 99.
Contractors reported seeing big flows at the source of the springs last week, raising hopes that the new pipes would allow more water to flow into town. The 10,000 feet of PVC was installed in the Sage Creek Basin. Water loss could be occurring anywhere along the 32-mile steel transmission line that runs from the basin, past the Nugget Wells, to the water treatment.
Public Information Officer Mira Miller said while repairs of the steel line have been ongoing this year, the number of leaks and their location is unknown.
The flow and storage data on the city’s website that track the water levels in the storage tanks tell the story. After the final connections were made on Friday, the turbid water from the springs was diverted from transmission line for a couple of days. During that time, the low-pressure tanks dropped to almost 30 percent of capacity over the weekend. The smaller, high-pressure tanks dropped to 51 percent. All four tanks are refilling, Metcalf said, but not fast enough to lift the restriction on turf watering.
The city is following its own prescription for conserving water. Watering of parks and other green spaces was turned off on August 18th. They will not be watered until further notice. As painful as it is to watch your lawn turn brown, staff is asking residents to refrain from watering your grass. The city manager asked for patience as departments work to solve a problem that was years, even decades, in the making.
Metcalf said the total cost updating the water infrastructure system to contemporary standards may run as high as $20 million. The city has received one grant from the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) for $675,000.
Earlier this month, Rawlins applied for an ARPA stimulus Grant in the amount of $7.5 million. Competition will be stiff as other communities in the state seek to fund their own projects.
Metcalf is hopeful the city will secure some funding either late this year or early next from the SLIB board.
In the meantime, is not allowed for this entire week in Rawlins. Indoor water use is unaffected.
