December 9, 2022 |
Rawlins is looking at ways to alleviate their water problems. One option city officials are exploring is reopening the dormant water pre-treatment plant.
During the November 15th Rawlins City Council meeting, two members of Y2 Consultants were present to update the council on progress being made to start the pre-treatment plant. Headquartered in Jackson, Wyoming, Y2 Consultants offers engineering, surveying, and planning services. Y2’s Rich Cripe is managing Rawlins’ Pre-Treatment Plant Startup Project. He started by explaining its purpose.
Pictured above: File photo of Rawlins City Hall. Photo by Cali O’Hare/Bigfoot 99.
Last summer’s catastrophic water infrastructure failure put Rawlins city officials on notice that something needed to be done. Extended droughts have reduced the capacity of underground springs relied on for drinking water. Cripe said water will continue to be an issue.
Last July, Y2 Consultants was hired by the city to study ways to increase the amount of clean water available to residents and conserve existing water supplies.
One of the options available to the city was restarting their existing water pre-treatment plant. Y2 engineer, Lou Harmon, said the plant has sat unused for a long time.
Getting the pre-treatment plant up and running is essential if the city plans to use surface water for drinking. Underground aquafers usually don’t require as much treatment as rivers and lakes due to them not being exposed to surface pollutants. The pre-treatment plant will take the burden of cleaning surface water off the city’s main treatment facilities.
Y2’s engineers found a lot of problems with the pre-treatment plant. Important equipment was installed incorrectly, computers were not functioning, and outdoor water basins were leaking. Project manager Cripe said those issues resulted in increased maintenance costs.
The pre-treatment plant has been dormant mainly because it is expensive to run. City officials will need to find money in the budget if they intend to use it. Regular maintenance and filter changes, on top of purchasing necessary chemicals, will add to the cost. Cripe said the city will also need to hire more people to operate it.
Reactivating the pre-treatment plant is just one avenue Y2 Consultants is perusing. Cripe praised the city for improving their spring system. He said the water pumped from underground won’t take as much effort to clean.
Cripe said his study showed the city is using treated water on public areas like the parks and the cemetery. The engineer suggested finding alternative sources of water for those applications.
The Y2 engineer told the city to try reusing water. He said, with proper treatment and added minerals, black water could be used on the city’s grass.
Cripe also suggested the city cover their reservoirs. He said this would reduce evaporation and decrease the amount of chemicals needed to treat the water.
Y2 Consultant’s engineers would like to perform a weeklong test on the pre-treatment plant next month, allowing them to fine tune chemicals used to clean the water. The trial will ensure everything is functioning properly before they put the plant into full operation in early summer. Y2’s Lou Harmon said starting the pre-treatment plant before water usage spikes will make sure it can handle the increased demand.
Y2 Consultants is optimistic they will be able to hit that early January time frame.
