PROJECT INFORMATION:
In 1990, the Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board requested assistance from the WWDC in
determining the feasibility of expanding the board's service area. The Joint Powers Board
presently supplies water to the towns of Mountain View and Lyman; the Blacks Fork, Lower
Bench and Fort Bridger Water Districts; and 176 individual homes and businesses. Water users
not in the service area have no potable water or have poor quality water in limited supplies. The
Bridger Valley Joint Powers Board felt at that time they had sufficient water rights and water
treatment plant capacity to serve additional users not included in the present service area.
In 1991, the WWDC completed the Level I study which evaluated the possibility of serving
additional areas. The areas identified as the most likely to connect to the present system include:
the area east of Mountain View and south of Lyman; the area surrounding Millburne, which is
south of the Fort Bridger Water District and west of Mountain View; and the area surrounding the
Uinta County Highway Shop, which is north of the treatment plant. These areas were organized
into the Pioneer Water and Sewer District. The cost to connect the district to the present system
was estimated to be $3,440,000. The number of potential taps in the district was estimated to be
approximately 120. The costs to the potential users to purchase water from the board and repay
the loans was estimated at $60-$65 per month per tap.
Due to the Joint Powers Board's inability to provide the necessary loan security, as the proposed
project was outside its boundaries, the Pioneer Water and Sewer District took over as the project
sponsor.
In 1992, the Level II study defined the proposed transmission pipeline alignment, mapped the
proposed alignment, investigated the geologic conditions along that alignment, and evaluated the
present water treatment plant. The Level II study found that the Bridger Valley Joint Powers
Board system is operating at its maximum capacity and will need a major upgrade to provide
clean water to its current members in the very near future. The Lyman Springs, which are a
major component of the area water supply, also became a concern due to the possibility of EPA
regulation.
In 1993, the sponsor requested an extension of the Level II study. This Level II study extension
would investigate the possibility of developing a groundwater source. This groundwater source
could serve the Pioneer District and be tied into the Bridger Valley Regional System as an
additional water supply. This additional study was to include a groundwater exploration program
and will provide conceptual plans and detailed cost estimates for a groundwater supply system to
serve the district or to serve the regional system, depending on the results of the groundwater
exploration program.
In 1994, the Level II study determined that there is a surface water connection problem with the
Lyman Springs.
The Lyman Springs Rehabilitation project has been completed with construction of springs
modifications, funded by WWDC and the installation of bag filters funded by the Town of
Lyman. In 1995, due to the protests of the landowners in the area, the sponsors decided not to
pursue the groundwater exploration program. The joint powers board is presently upgrading their
diversion and treatment facilities with construction completion anticipated in the fall of 2003.
RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
The WWDC recommends that the project for expansion of water service be placed on Level II-Hold
status.