July 11, 2024 |
Photo – Cover page of Water Master Plan draft copy – Courtesy City of Rawlins
In Rawlins, officials reported this week that fixing the city’s struggling water system will cost over $26 million.
On Tuesday afternoon, representatives from the Wyoming Water Development Office and WWC Engineering met with city staff for a special workshop to discuss the findings of the recently completed draft water master plan.
Wyoming Water Development Office Project Manager George Moser explained that the draft master plan shows needed water infrastructure repairs and potential sources of funding.
In December of 2022, the Wyoming Water Development Office hired WWC Engineering to perform a study on the water infrastructure of Rawlins. On Tuesday afternoon, WWC Engineering Laramie Branch Manager Murray Schroeder reviewed his draft water master plan with the city council.
In his report, Schroeder listed four high priority projects requiring immediate repairs: Revitalizing the Sage Creek Springs, repairing blow-off valves on the transmission line from the springs to the Atlantic Rim Reservoir, addressing the high-pressure line crossing under the interstate, and replacing the two treated water storage tanks.
Schroeder began his presentation by talking about the five and a half miles of aging pipe running from the Sage Creek Spring boxes into the water treatment plant. The WWC engineer said fixing and replacing the pipes will cost roughly $9 million.
Schroeder said three-quarters of the city’s drinking water – 74% in all — comes from the springs. In the late 1980’s, the city built 25 miles of steel pipeline from the Sage Creek Springs to the Atlantic Rim Reservoir. Schroeder said 16 of the line’s blow-off valves are now failing. He said a valve failure could have disastrous effects, especially in the winter. Schroeder said fixing the water line will likely cost more than $5 million.
In early May of this year, the high-pressure water line supplying tanks on the west side of the city ruptured in three different locations. Rawlins public works crews replaced a 30-foot section of cast iron water main with plastic pipe.
Speaking to the city council Tuesday afternoon, Schroeder said the soil surrounding the buried high-pressure line is highly alkaline, which is causing the pipe to corrode. The engineer said replacing the entire 7,000-foot pipeline will cost up to $9 million.
Schroeder said a recent study shows that the city’s two treated water storage tanks have severe corrosion damage. The engineer said the tanks need to be replaced.
Schroeder estimated that installing two new tanks will cost $4.7 million.
Combined, repairs for the four repair projects total over $26 million. The city has already spent $3-million renovating the water pretreatment plant and the computer-controlled SCADA system there.
Schroeder explained how he expects the city to pay for the repairs. The engineer said assuming the Water Development Commission pays for half of the project, Rawlins must contribute $12 million of its own money.
The draft water master plan didn’t contain all bad news, however. Schroeder said the Nugget well field is still operating at near peak capacity.
Councilwoman Jacquelin Wells said she is worried that inflation may put the cost of repairs out of reach. Wells used the 6th Penny Tax funded Edinburgh Street repair project as an example of inflation causing construction costs to balloon out of control.
Wyoming Water Development Office Project Manager Moser said the effects of inflation are difficult to predict.
Mayor Terry Weickum said with the recent water rate increases, the city is doing everything it can to keep its water infrastructure operational. If the city takes out a loan to cover its part of the project costs, residents will be required to pay even more for water. Mayor Weickum said grants through the State Lands and Investments Board, or SLIB, will determine if Rawlins can accomplish the goals of the water master plan.
WWC Engineering Manager Schroeder said addressing the infrastructure weaknesses contained in the draft water master plan will take upwards of a decade.
The Rawlins city council will continue to review the report and come up with ways to fund the four high priority projects.
