PROJECT INFORMATION:
The Washakie County Commissioners applied for a Level I study to evaluate the potential of
providing water to rural areas in the Worland vicinity. There has been substantial residential
development in rural Washakie County, and because groundwater is generally poor in the area there
is need for a centralized water system.
In 1994 the Level I study identified potential rural users that could be served by a rural water
system. Several sources of supply were considered, with the Worland municipal system selected as
the most cost effective choice. The Level II study refined the Level I work, and approximately 500
potential taps were identified, which would require installation of pipelines that would extend
completely through the county from north to south. A number of variations in service area
configurations were considered in an effort to delineate the most cost effective means to serve the
maximum number of taps.
In 1999 the city of Worland in conjunction with the other major water users in the area (Greybull,
Basin, Manderson, Kirby, Lucerne, and Thermopolis) would like to evaluate the feasibility of
constructing a new regional water supply pipeline as a portion of the Washakie Regional System.
This pipeline would extend from the Worland well field down the Nowood River drainage to the
Big Horn River then up the valley to Worland. This pipe would provide Worland redundant
conveyance capabilities from the well field and would serve additional users along its route. A
second line would run from the north end of the Big Horn Regional System north across the
Greybull River to the Greybull Area System. This pipeline would provide an alternate redundant
supply to Greybull and their proposed new storage tank on the west bank of the Big Horn River.
The water users in the Hot Springs County area are also looking at adding to the Regional System
via the Hot Springs Rural System.
RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
The WWDC recommends that the project be incorporated into the New Development Program at
Level II with an appropriation of $65,000.