PROJECT INFORMATION:
A pre-design report 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. 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 of the 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 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 was provided by the 2002 Legislature to cover cost overruns. 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 Loan
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 WWDC eligible estimated project costs for the intake structures 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 completed design of the intake structure and raw water transmission line. Construction on
these elements will be completed during summer 2003. Storage tank design will be completed by
Spring 2003 for scheduled construction by the end of 2003.
The Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board would like to conduct a level II feasibility study for a
water storage reservoir. The BVJPB owns and operates the water treatment facility that provides
treated water for the Town of Lyman, Town of Mountain View, Blacks Fork Water and Sewer
District and much of rural Uinta County in the Bridger Valley. The BVJPB has water rights from
the Smiths Fork and Blacks Fork Rivers. They also have 1,500 acre feet (af) of water storage in
the Stateline Dam. Their contract with the Bureau of Reclamation requires predetermined
volumes of water be released from Stateline Dam each month. This means that about 700 af are
released in the winter when water demands are low and when stream flow can typically meet the
needs. There is also an instream flow requirement, which is met by the winter releases. The
BVJPB wants to develop a water storage reservoir to store releases from the Stateline Dam in
times of adequate stream flow to allow use of the stored water in summer and fall periods when
flows are low and demand is high.
RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
The WWDC recommends the Bridger Valley Reservoir Storage Project be incorporated into the
New Development Program at Level II with an appropriation of $125,000.
