Equality State News

The City of Rawlins would like to share updates regarding our water system improvements and funding. We will now be releasing updates on most Tuesdays. For all the latest updates, including 14 from last week, view the latest news at www.rawlinswy.gov/385/5910/Water-News

Funding/Administrative Updates: 

• ARPA 2022-23 - America Rescue Plan Act Water Project We are submitting an almost $7.5 million grant to the State Land and Investment Board this week for replacement of wood stave pipeline and spring boxes in the Sage Creek Basin and to provide repairs and maintenance to the 32-mile pipeline from Sage Creek Basin to the water treatment plant. If fully funded and work stays within the contingency, this project will replace all woodstave pipes and outdated collection systems in the Sage Creek Basin. It will also make major repairs to our 32-mile steel pipeline, such as blow-offs and air valves. Our city matching funds of over $1.2 million will be coming from Chokecherry Impact Assistance funds. 
• Digitization: After difficulties in finding historic designs and as-built plans, we are working to digitize the hundreds of plans which are currently stored in the City. We are also recording surveys at the Carbon County Land Office to help protect our natural sources of water and other city assests. 
• Water Rates: We have hired Carl Brown, the only rate analyst recommended by the Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems, to evaluate and propose necessary rate changes for our water enterprise fund. This includes evaluating current and future needs, analyzing various options, and then presenting recommendations to City Council. Our primary goal is to have rates that are structured in a fair way. For more information on Carl Brown, visit gettinggreatrates.com. 
• Parks & City Watering: As of the first week of August, parks have reduced the watering of our city spaces by half (from our original significantly reduced amount) until further notice. 
• Restrictions: 
  1. Water exemptions are permitted for one-time events, such as a vacation. This could be used to water on an alternate day if you are gone, etc. If you are in need of an exemption, please email crelations@rawlinswy.gov 
  2. With ongoing discussion with City staff and experts from UW Extension Offices, once-a-week turf watering and as-needed watering for gardens, trees, etc. is still the professionally recommended approach.  For full restriction details, please visit www.rawlinswy.gov/379/Outdoor-Irrigation-Restrictions

Water Supply/Storage Updates: 

• Tanks, Flows, and Storage Data: This week our flow from the Springs/Wells averaged 1.9 million gallons per day. Our community usage averaged 2.2 million gallons per day. Our high-pressure tanks averaged 87% full and our low-pressure tanks averaged 72% full.  Full daily data can be found at www.rawlinswy.gov/381/Flows-and-Storage-Data 

Infrastructure Updates: 

• Replacement of 10,000 feet of woodstave pipeline with PVC (Phase 1): All issues found during the scoping of the new PVC pipeline have been repaired. All but one final connection point has been located so that we can continue to install vaults to join the spring line to the new PVC pipe. 

For more information on water projects, as well as our water system as a whole, please visit www.rawlinswy.gov/water. You can also contact Mira Miller, City of Rawlins Community Relations Coordinator, at 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.

Original source can be found here.