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.
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 pipelines extending 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.
The total cost of the proposed system is estimated at $9,950,000, with
$8,600,000 of that amount eligible for WWDC participation. The sponsor has
requested a grant from WWDC for 60% of the eligible cost, which is $5,160,000.
The Commission approved recommending this project to the Select Water
Committee contingent upon combining the McNutt Improvement and Service
District project with the Washakie Rural Project. The combined project will
require an appropriation of $5,220,000 to meet 60% of the eligible project
costs. The remainder of the project funding will be obtained from the Rural
Utilities Service and the State Land and Investments Board.
RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
The WWDC recommends the project be advanced to Level III status in the
New Development Program with an appropriation of $5,160,000 and another
$60,000 to fund 60% of the McNutt Improvement and Service District's project
which brings the total request to $5,220,000. The remaining 40%, the loan
portion and the remaining project cost, are the responsibility of the district.
