PROJECT INFORMATION:
A pre-design report, which was completed in March, 2000 by Nelson Engineering and Richard P.
Arber Associates for the replacement and expansion of the Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board
(BVJPB) water treatment plant. The report includes an evaluation of intake upgrade alternatives
taking into consideration pressure requirements at the WTP, access to intake site, sediment removal,
permitting costs, regulatory issues and life cycle costs. Alternatives looked at included: alluvial
wells, alternate diversion locations, raw water transmission line replacement and construction of a
booster pump station. The most cost effective and implementable alternative incorporates the
replacement of the existing 14-inch raw water pipeline along with the intake structure.
The current transmission line cannot provide the 4 MGD raw water flow capacity, which the new
plant will be capable of treating, owing to sizing and flow restrictions. The report also advises that
additional finished water storage is required to provide peak day and peak hourly demands of the
water system along with adequate disinfection contact time.
The BVJPB received Level III funding in 2001 to assist in the construction replacement of the
existing intake and raw water diversion structure in the Smith's Fork River at the site of the existing
structure. The intake is located 8,800 feet upstream from the regional water treatment plant. The
existing structure is inadequate to provide the total raw water capacity a new 4 MGD water treatment
plant that is being funded by a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan. The existing
intake structure also has problems associated with intake capacity at low river flows as well as
problems with ice and trash accumulations.
A Capital Facilities Tax in the amount of $6,450,000 was passed in the year 2000, to fund the
treatment plant expansion, transmission line and new treated water storage tank construction along
with the 50% sponsor share of the new intake structure. Additional Wyoming Water Development
grant funding is being requested to fund the raw water transmission line and the finished water
storage tank following water treatment plant bid costs which came in $1.3 million higher than the
engineer's preliminary cost estimate. The current total estimated project costs for all elements
including plant, storage, intake and pipeline is $7.8 million. The BVJPB believes that with the
additional WWDC grant funding, State Loans and Investment Board grant funding, rebidding of the
water treatment plant, elimination of some of the water treatment plant equipment and relocation of
the proposed storage tank site; the entire project including intake, raw water pipeline, storage tank
and treatment plant can be completed.
Total estimated project costs for the intake structure, storage tank and raw water transmission line
are $1,062,900, which includes easement acquisition, design, wetlands & environmental
mitigation/permitting, construction management and a 10% contingency. The BVJPB has completed
design of the intake structure at a cost of $52,900. BVJPB is requesting a 50% grant of the
remaining costs or $505,000. The remaining 50% of costs will be provided from funds collected by
the capital facilities tax, the DWSRF and State Loans and Investment Board grant funding.
RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
The WWDC recommends that the project be incorporated in the Rehabilitation Program at Level III
with an increase to the previously approved appropriation of $138,000 by $367,000 to a total of
$505,000. The funding would be to provide 50% of the construction and construction management
costs for the intake, transmission pipeline and treated water storage tank.
