Water development meeting provides plethora of information

The Wyoming Water Development Commission is evaluating options for providing water to Hot Springs County residents. Representatives of the Level II Study, Project Manager George Moser, Jeff Rosenlund of DOWL, and hydro-geologist Ben Jordan held a public meeting on October 26 at the annex building.

As part of the project’s scope, the study representatives have gathered information, identified stakeholders, and they reviewed existing information. They also developed population growth projections of Thermopolis and Hot Springs County and inventoried and evaluated water resources. Additionally, they identified reasonable alternatives and prepared conceptual designs and costs. From this research, they have evaluated funding and provided estimated resulting water rates.

In this meeting, they now sought public input and will prioritize and evaluate recommendations. Additionally, they hope to obtain access to a potential site and will compile a report.

Regarding the summary of input they gathered, data came from their website and mailings. Additionally, they had their initial scope meeting on May 22 and, from their stakeholder list, they received over 80 emails. Also, there were 87 surveys completed online.

Moser reported that there has been an .8% growth rate in Hot Springs County. Currently, there are 1,862 taps using about 1,580 gallons per minute and in 50 years there will be a projected 2,924 taps using about 2,385 gallons per minute.

In their considerations of drilling for water, there were multiple options. They included Western Sites, Yankee Dome Anticline, Shelbourne Dome Anticline, Minnesela Wildcat, Buffalo Creek Monocline, Wildhorse Butte Anticline, and Lysite Mountain Anticline.

The costs for the different sites varied. Yankee Dome North is 8 miles, $13.2 million. Yankee Dome South is 6.7 miles, $8.9 million. Shelbourne Dome is 4.4 miles, $6.4 million. Minnesela Wildcat is 2.3 miles, $3.6 million. Buffalo Creek II & III is 5.6 miles, $7.2 million. Wildhorse Butte is 10.4 miles, $11 million. Lysite Mountain to Wildhorse is 18 miles, $22 million. Lysite Mountain North is 29 miles, $41 million. Lucerne to Thermopolis is 6.6 miles, $9.1 million. Lysite Mountain South to Thermopolis is 34 miles, $39 million. Lysite Mountain North to Thermopolis is 40.6 miles, $49.8 million. Yankee Dome North and South is 14.7 miles, $22.1 million.

If drilling for groundwater is not considered, the other direction is to use the Water Treatment Plant (WTP). In this case, there are also a variety of options. They can upgrade the existing WTP and/or relocate the intake. They can construct a new WTP and relocate the intake or place it upstream. Additionally, they can maintain the existing WTP as an emergency supply only.

The WTP has different filtration options, as well as various costs. They include lime and soda ash, conventional filtration, dissolved air filtration, micro membrane and ultrafiltration. 

Regarding their review of water rights: Are existing rights sufficient to supply the future rural system? Yes. And, are additional rights available if they are needed? Yes. 

For the system of governance for the water operation, there are a couple of options. They are the Joint Powers Board (JPB) and the Town of Thermopolis. Regarding the JPB, the board is made of a member from each entity; the JPB provides wholesale water service to each entity, and the JPB will own, manage and operate the water supply facilities and system.

The presenters discussed the operations and management cost comparisons. A new WTP would cost about $600,000 to $850,000 per year, with $27 to $38 per tap per month. On the other hand, a groundwater system would cost about $250,000 to $300,00 per year, with $11 to $14 per tape per month.

The presenters also went over a very detailed matrix of the costs for various costs and combinations of possible options for a water source. They discussed the debt cost per tap month for funding scenarios with fundings of a 50% grant or 75% or 90% grants.

Regarding alternatives and resulting bills or the wholesale monthly per tap rate, for the Well Project(s) the Operations and Management (O&M) cost is $11 to $14, debt costs $0.97 to $40 with a minimum base rate needed of $12 to $54. However, for the WTP project, the O&M cost is $27 to $38, debt costs $3.74 to $28, with a minimum base rated need of $30.74 to $66.

The actual 2023 rates and monthly bills for the wholesale base rate for Washakie Rural is $11.50; Lucerne is $11.50; Owl Creek is $23.90 and South Thermopolis is $23.80 and the Town of Thermopolis is $29.

The presenters said their next steps are to prioritize recommendations and draft a report. Once the report is ready, they will hold a public hearing to present it. Moser added that they cannot tell Hot Springs County what to do. They only provide their recommendations based on their Level II study.

During public comments, there was a variety of discussion. They included concerns about risk analysis of the Level II Study, comparing the risks of a Water Treatment Plant versus drilling for groundwater. Moser explained that the Wyoming Water Development Office pays for the Level II study and the initial drilling for a possible ground water source. If a sufficient water source is discovered by drilling, then a Level III Study occurs where a sponsor can take over the O&M of the sites.

One of the risks involved in a drilling site for groundwater is gaining access through the easements from all the various property owners involved in accessing the site and transferring the water to use. One single property owner could not grant an easement and thus prevent the operation from existing.

The risks of using a Water Treatment Plant are not only about double the costs involved compared to drilling for groundwater, but also the increasing demands of regulations from the EPA. Additional risks also include if there is an accident in the Wind River Canyon potentially spilling waste or toxic material into the river, thus affecting the WTP.

During the meeting, the existing well of Buffalo Creek was discussed, and the question was asked if it can be saved. Hydro-geologist Ben Jordan explained there is still iron bacteria in the water but that it is not a human pathogen but it can be cleansed out using acid fracking.

Also discussed were concerns about the South Moneta oil fields spilling toxic waste into the waters in the Boysen Reservoir area and possibly impacting the water quality in Hot Springs County. Jordan drew some pictures on a whiteboard showing that the drilling of groundwater north of the Wind River Canyon would not be affected. He explained that the Precambrian rock formation and its depth would block the toxins and that the toxins would be affecting the surface water in the Wind River Canyon. 

Thermopolis Mayor Adam Estenson added to the conversation and said, “Obviously as a whole currently, we’re a major stakeholder in this conversation. Part of my vision, and again it all comes down to money and how you would fund it, a goal would be to move our irrigation water into town for lawns, gardens and so on to a raw water system. I don’t know how we do that, but to me, that needs to be part of the conversation.”