Water News

This page contains water updates, arranged chronologically, not in project or topic order. 

June 12, 2023 

Update:  Water restrictions are now loosened! 

  • Residences and businesses may water their lawns as many days as desired – any days of their choosing. Do not water between 10 AM and 6 PM. 
  • Please feel free to use water for other uses, such as washing porches, driveways or other hard surfaces. 
  • Trees, bushes, gardens, etc. may be watered by sprinklers or by manually-operated hose as desired. Do not water between 10am and 6pm. 
  • Restrictions will be reevaluated and change throughout the summer, especially as the temperature increases and flows decrease from the springs.

Our water tanks are now full to allow for tank inspections, scheduled for early next week.  The majority of our parks and green spaces did not begin watering until late last week to allow the tanks to fill. As such, they may be crispy and uncomfortable. Thanks to everyone who followed restrictions to allow the tanks to fill for inspection. 

Want to make sure you see our water announcements? Sign up for news via email or text at www.rawlinswy.gov/notifyme under “City of Rawlins News.”

Tuesday, May 16, 2023 

We have reached “Level D” from our water use management as defined in Rawlins Municipal Code 13.10. However, with the pretreatment plant and good runoff from the springs, our water restrictions initially allow watering of turf three times a week for all households and businesses. These will go into effect on Monday, May 22nd to allow time for adequate notice to the community.

This year restrictions will be reevaluated each week. There is a possibility that restrictions will change throughout the summer, especially as the temperature increases and flows decrease from the springs.

Restrictions:

  • Residences and businesses may water their lawns three times per week – only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday only between the hours of 4 to 10 am and 6 to 10 pm.
  • Trees, bushes, gardens, etc., may be watered any day of the week as needed using a manually operated hose with an automatic shut-off valve between the hours of 4 to 10 am and 6 to 10 pm.
  • Please do not waste water, such as allowing it to run down the street or washing hard surfaces. Washing parking lots, sidewalks or driveways with a hose is prohibited except for construction, safety, and health reasons. Do not allow water to run into or pool in gutters, streets, and sidewalks.
  • We do not expect to grant any additional water use for grass seed or new sod.

All city facilities which are supplied by treated water, including all parks and the cemetery, will be restricted to the equivalent volume of two days per week. This volume of watering will happen throughout the week and overnight to spread out the work and the water use. Parks will also be prepared to reduce their water use at any time to help provide additional water to residents. Our Parks Division takes extra care of our green spaces, such as aerating and fertilizing, which helps the water to be used as wisely as possible and the grass to stay healthy on reduced water.

According to resources provided by the University of Wyoming Extension Office, watering of turf grass should ideally occur in two to three irrigations per week. Enough water should be provided so that the water can soak deep into the ground. Shallow, frequent irrigations will encourage shallow root growth and weaken lawn health. The Extension Office has many resources to offer scientific advice on lawn health, landscape design, and more.  The Extension Office also offers one-on-one consulting. Please call 307-328-2642.

­­­­­We are still in the process of fine-tuning the operations of the Pretreatment Plant, but as of today our low-pressure tank farm is more than 70% full. Thank you to everyone who conserved water over the last two weeks to allow the wet run of the plant to take place safely.  

Want all the details about water? Visit www.rawlinswy.gov/water. Want to make sure you see our water announcements? Sign up for news via email or text at www.rawlinswy.gov/notifyme under “City of Rawlins News.” For more information, please contact Mira Miller, City of Rawlins Community Relations/PIO, at 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.

Thursday, May 4, 2023 

Please be mindful and conserve water use until further notice. Due to the pretreatment wet run test, the low-pressure tank farm is at a reduced level to accommodate the additional flows. Over the last few days, the turbidity (cloudiness) in the spring water has increased, making the water harder to treat.   

In good news, the Pretreatment Plant is up and running! The wet run has been successful, and we are now fine-tuning the operations to treat water most effectively. We are now using the Pretreatment Plant to help treat our springs flow to help produce higher-quality water despite the increased turbidity.  

However, with the increased turbidity and lowered tank levels, please be mindful of water usage and conserve when possible. Please do not begin irrigating until tank levels are higher. We post tank levels at www.rawlinswy.gov/water. We will keep you informed through our notifications, website, and Facebook as we continue to fill the tanks.  

Interested in receiving news from the CitBud Spillman and Lou Harmon of Y2 Consultants take a water sample in the pretreatment plant.y? Sign up for news via email or text at www.rawlinswy.gov/notifyme under “City of Rawlins News.”  For more information, please contact Mira Miller, City of Rawlins Community Relations/PIO, at 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.  

Photo: Bud Spillman and Lou Harmon of Y2 Consultants take a water sample in the pretreatment plant. 


Thursday, April 13, 2023 

Although the weather is beginning to warm, we are unable to determine the 2023 irrigation restrictions until mid-May. There are two main factors which will affect the amount of water available for lawns in 2023.

Collection at the springs/Well Flows: Although we are currently at 203% of normal snowpack in the Sage Creek Basin, all this water may not be useable for irrigation. If the spring melt occurs rapidly and the ground remains frozen, much of the water will flow into springs and creeks, instead of into our collection systems. Our infrastructure is also a consideration, as not all water is collected at the springs, and some is lost due to the leaks in our transmission system. We will know more about our flows from the springs and wells by mid-May.

Pretreatment Plant: Extensive repairs have been made at the pretreatment plant over the winter. We are currently waiting for the replacement of the final main valve into the plant. Once this is installed, we will do a wet run of the plant, which will show the full ability of the plant to treat our reservoir and river water. Barring further manufacture and delivery delays, we expect to perform the wet run and analyze performance by mid- to late-May. Our tanks are at a reduced level to accommodate the wet run, and we are monitoring usage closely. If the water tank levels are reduced too much, we will ask the community to reduce water usage to avoid water shortages and/or a boil water advisory.  

Once these two factors are known, we will decide and notify the community of the plans as quickly as possible. Some additional updates:

  • We expect gardens, trees, bushes, etc. to be able to be watered more frequently and the restrictions to be focused on turf.
  • There is a possibility that more frequent watering will be allowed in the spring and early summer, followed by stricter restrictions during the height of summer.
  • Until irrigation restrictions can be determined, the City will not be giving restriction exemptions for sod or new seeding.
  • Raw water for construction will be available for purchase this summer. Stop by City Hall for your application.
  • We are planning on hosting a Town Hall focused on water in late May or early June to discuss our infrastructure plans, as well as restrictions and other questions. 
  • Our Parks Department will be on stricter restrictions than homes and businesses throughout the summer.

Want all the details about water? Visit www.rawlinswy.gov/water. Want to make sure you see our water announcements? Sign up for news via email or text at www.rawlinswy.gov/notifyme under “City of Rawlins News,”

For more information, please contact Mira Miller, City of Rawlins Community Relations/PIO, at 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.

Monday, March 6, 2023 

The City of Rawlins has received an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant for Local Governments from the Wyoming State & Investment Board (SLIB) for $917,548.00 for the replacement of 15 spring and junction boxes in the Sage Creek Basin. These boxes will allow us to capture more water in the springs for transport, treatment, and use in the City of Rawlins and Town of Sinclair.

Some of the spring boxes are over 100 years old and have become less effective at groundwater collection over time due to particle migration and partial clogging of collection laterals.   Additionally, the existing system is not big enough to capture water supplies at a rate equal to the spring’s water rights.  The City of Rawlins contributed an additional $717,000 from Chokecherry Impact Assistance Funds and $238,000 from a General Fund Loan to complete the replacement.

This is the second large project the City of Rawlins is executing in the Sage Creek Basin. Our first project was the replacement of 10,000 feet of woodstave pipeline in the Sage Creek Basin, which was completed in Summer 2022 with $812,000 from a General Fund Loan and $1,317,000 from Chokecherry Impact Assistance Funds. 

The City of Rawlins is also currently undertaking the following Water System Projects: 

• Pretreatment Plant Start-Up which will allow us to effectively treat reservoir and river water; funded through $535,000 of Chokecherry Impact Assistance Funds and operations/additional funding from the Water Enterprise Fund 

• Design and Installation of a new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) which monitors and automates various components of the water treatment service system; funded through $200,000 of Chokecherry Impact Assistance Funds and $962.951.14 from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

• Design and installation of cathodic protection on our main 32-mile transmission line from the springs to the treatment plant; funded through a $675,000 Mineral Royalties Grant from the State Land and Investment Board (SLIB MRG) 

• Replace the Air/Vac valves, blow-off valves, and portions of our main 32-mile steel transmission line from the Sage Creek Basin Springs to the City of Rawlins Treatment Plant; funded through a $998,400.00 CDBG grant and SLIB MRG funds not used for cathodic protection

Monday, February 6, 2023

The City of Rawlins has made progress regarding water infrastructure. Please read below for information regarding the Pretreatment Plant, newly received grants, contractors, a state-funded Water Master Plan, and more.

Pretreatment Plant

                Over the next month, we will be doing pretreatment plant test runs. These will help us determine the specific chemicals for the pretreatment process and identify the updates that are needed for efficient operation. For the test runs, we will operate at full capacity which will create more water than used by our community during the winter. We are currently reducing the levels of the large low-pressure tanks to have storage available for the test run water. When the pretreatment plant test runs occur, the flavor/smell may be affected due to use of reservoir water but will continue to meet all safety requirements. If there are unforeseen issues, we may enact “Limited Water Use” while the tanks are refilled. This is our method to ask the community to cut back on all water use as much as possible to allow the tanks to refill. More details can be found at www.rawlinswy.gov/water.

The Pretreatment Plant has never been operational for more than a few months at a time. The City often had sufficient water to meet community water needs without relying on chemical treatment of water, which is very expensive. The proper chemical process also had not been pinpointed, which led to issues with the regular treatment plant. The City of Rawlins and Y2 Consultants have been working since this summer to prepare for regular operations of the plant.  We have addressed leaking basins, poorly wired pumps, noncommunicative control panels, failed valves, chemical safety issues, created proper procedures for safety and maintenance, and the set-up and stocking of the laboratory. We have also researched and identified the proper process and chemicals for our specific treatment process. For the full report from Y2 Consultants to council on December 13, 2022, visit www.rawlinswy.gov/water on the reports page.

Depending on the amount of water available this year from Sage Creek Basin and the Nugget Wells, we estimate that the outdoor irrigation restrictions may include 2 turf waterings per week with trees, bushes, gardens, etc. watered with a manually operated hose as needed. The goal is to have the pretreatment plant fully operational by the beginning of May, so we are prepared for the peak demand later in the summer. Once the pretreatment plant test runs have been performed, we will provide further information on expected water restrictions for Summer 2023.  

Grants & Loans

                We recently received just under $2 million in funding from Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for our water infrastructure! To date, in reverse chronological order, we have:

  • Received $962,951.14 CDBG to update the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) for the City of Rawlins Treatment Plants which help monitor and automate various components of the water treatment service system.
  • Received $998,400.00 CDBG to repair and replace the Air/Vac valves, blow-off valves, and portions of our main 32-mile steel transmission line from the Sage Creek Basin Springs to the City of Rawlins Treatment Plant
  • Applied for an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant for $917,562.73 for the Replacement of Spring Boxes in the Sage Creek Basin with a hearing and decision in late February 2023
  • Received $675,000 Mineral Royalties Grant from the State Land and Investment Board (SLIB MRG) for design of blow-offs and design and installation of cathodic protection on our main 32-mile streel transmission line
  • Allocated $2.052 million of Chokecherry Impact Assistance funds for water infrastructure (Feb & Oct 2022)  
    1. $1.317 million for Phase I and other waterline infrastructure needs  
    2. $535,000 for the pretreatment plant start-up project
    3. $200,000 for the initial design phase of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA)
  • Allocated $737,980 of ARPA Stimulus Funding to Phase 1: Replacement of 10,000 feet of Woodstave Pipeline
  • Lent $812,019 of General Fund to the Water Enterprise Fund for Phase 1: Replacement of 10,000 feet of Woodstave Pipeline
  • Allocated 2019 “6th Penny” Specific Purpose Tax funds to building a raw water line to the cemetery

Water Contractor Services 

On January 17, 2023, City Council approved hiring WWC Engineering and Girt Communications to assist with project planning and timelines, pursuit of loans and grants, reporting to Council, weekly community water updates, and more.

Rawlins Water Master Plan 

The Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC) is currently seeking a consultant to prepare a City of Rawlins Water Supply Master Plan. This $250,000 level 1 study has been proposed to the 2023 Legislative Session, and if approved, will be entirely paid by the State of Wyoming.   The WWDC is currently seeking statements of interest and qualifications from professional consulting firms for the Rawlins Water Master Plan.

Additional Updates

In addition to the pre-treatment plant, the City of Rawlins has been making progress on additional water infrastructure projects.

  • Sage Creek Basin: The replacement of the 10,000 feet of woodstave pipeline in the Sage Creek Basin is functionally complete and fully connected. Any impact this replacement has on water flows will be difficult to determine. This is due to the various factors, such as snowpack/drought and lack of meters throughout our collection system. We are monitoring flows from the springs and may be able to provide rough estimates this fall.  
  • General Maintenance and Repairs on the 32-mile Transmission Line Projects: We have replaced three of the Air/Vac Valves on the 32- mile transmission line from the springs into town. We also vacuumed, reinsulated, and winterized 45+ air/vac vaults on the transmission line and in the Sage Creek Basin.
  • Arbor Day: The Parks & Recreation Department and UW Extension Office are hosting an Arbor Day Celebration and Education Event on June 2 and 3, including education talks on water-wise landscaping.

Sunday, September 17, 2022

👉 Find the study and more information at www.rawlinswy.gov/rateinput
 💲 If approved, for the average home on City Water, the bill would increase by approximately $20/month. By national standards, this would still be considered affordable.  
🗣The Water Rate Public Hearing during this Tuesday's council meeting at 7:30 is dedicated to public comments and questions. 
🚧 Our state grant and loan agencies have said that a rate increase is required to receive funds. Without additional funds, we cannot repair our infrastructure or run the pre-treatment plant. 

Friday, September 2, 2022

Our tanks are not quite at normal levels, however, they are on the rise after five days of clean spring water coming into our Treatment Plant. Therefore, for the week of September 5th, the regular summer restrictions are back in effect. Under these restrictions, residences/businesses may water one day per week before 10 am or after 6 pm. Even-numbered residences/businesses water on Thursdays, and odd-numbered residences/businesses water on Monday. Full details on restrictions are available at www.rawlinswy.gov/water. All city green spaces, such as parks and cemeteries, will not water the week of September 5th.  

As we announced on Tuesday, the spring connections have been switched from the historic woodstave pipeline to our new 10,000 feet of PVC pipeline. Due to this construction, we intermittently received turbid water to our treatment plant from August 19th through August 27th. Due to the fragile state of our infrastructure, when construction or other factors change the flow through the transmission line, this change can cause failures. Unfortunately, staff has now discovered two Air/Vac valve failures on the 32’ mile transmission line from the springs into town. Due to this fragility, we are assessing the feasibility of repairing the line immediately or waiting until fall when other repairs are made to the line. Our staff also spent time this week at the springs attempting to improve spring flows by modifying the new french drains.  

Lastly, our next week’s water update will be released on Wednesday due to the Labor Day Holiday. As a reminder, on Tuesday, the City Council Work Session at 6 pm is dedicated to a presentation by Carl Brown on September 6th at 6 pm about the water rate study. A water rate study was conducted because the City of Rawlins wants to provide better water infrastructure and service to our community. We all deserve to have a reliable water system and to have the cost of service divided fairly. To learn about the study, you can visit www.rawlinswy.gov/rateinput or attend the presentation by Mr. Brown which will also be broadcast on YouTube. This website also includes a survey where you can provide direct feedback to City Council and staff. Feedback can also be provided at City Hall or by calling 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.  

Find all the up-to-date news regarding water at www.rawlinswy.gov/water. Interested in receiving news from the City? Sign up for news via email or text at www.rawlinswy.gov/notifyme under “City of Rawlins News.”  For more information, please contact Mira Miller, City of Rawlins Community Relations/PIO, at 307-328-4500 ext. 1022. 

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 

The City of Rawlins is sharing updates regarding our water system on most Tuesdays. For all the latest updates, including eight from last week and eight from the week before, visit www.rawlinswy.gov/385/5910/Water-News

Funding/Administrative Updates: 

  • Water Rates:  A water rate study was conducted because the City of Rawlins wants to provide better water infrastructure and service to our community. We all deserve to have a reliable water system and to have the cost of service divided fairly. To learn about the study, you can visit www.rawlinswy.gov/rateinput or attend the presentation by Mr. Brown on September 6th at 6 pm during the council work session. It will be broadcast live on YouTube. This website also includes a survey where you can provide direct feedback to City Council and staff. Feedback can also be provided at City Hall or by calling 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.  
  • Parks & City Watering: Park and other green space watering has been turned off as of August 18th until further notice. We will not water parks the week of August 28th. 

Restriction Updates:

  • Turf Irrigation/Lawn Watering: Due to the days of highly turbid water from the springs, our tanks have not returned to our normal levels of approximately 80-90%. As of Tuesday morning, our high-pressure tanks are at 54%, and our low-pressure tanks are at 39%. Therefore, turf irrigation (lawn watering) is not allowed for this entire week. We will continue to monitor and update you through our normal methods: website (with optional notifications), Facebook, via emails in those in our Utility Billing software, and the electronic outdoor signs. 

Infrastructure/Treatment Updates: 

  • Replacement of 10,000 feet of woodstave pipeline with PVC (Phase 1): All of the new connections have been made to the new pipe. The flows have not increased as staff and contractors  hoped. The crews are making final adjustments which may  promote greater water flow and are finalizing the new french drain.
  • Pre-Treatment Plant: Our Facilities Division has been busy at the Pre-Treatment Plant. This has included:
    1. All interior and exterior lighting
    2. All interior and exterior specialty lighting, such as security, safety, and exit lights  
    3. HVAC system, including repairing motors, replacing belts, greasing bearings, changing filters, and electronics replacements 
    4. Water heaters: Replace heating elements and contacts
    5. Plumbing repairs
    6. Eyewash station components repaired and replaced  
    7. Fire extinguishers updated and alarms prepped for safety check mid-September 

Our Water Treatment Division and engineering contractors are also continuing their work on the Pre-Treatment Plant. Many parts have been ordered, but as is now common, delivery dates are unknown or far in the future. Staff continues order equipment and prepare the plant. 

Water Supply/Storage Updates: 

  • Tanks, Flows, and Storage Data: This week our flow from the Springs/Wells averaged 1.39 million gallons per day. Our community usage averaged 1.32 million gallons per day. Our high-pressure tanks averaged 59% full, and our low-pressure tanks averaged 36% full.  Full daily data can be found at www.rawlinswy.gov/381/Flows-and-Storage-Data 
  • Construction Water: If you have a construction project that is in need of water, please call Public Works Director Cody Dill at 307-328-4599. 

For more information on water projects, as well as our water system as a whole, please visit www.rawlinswy.gov/water. You can also contact Mira Miller, City of Rawlins Community Relations Coordinator, at 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.

Water Rate Notice

8 28 Water Use

Thursday, August 25, 2022

R.M.I. Construction and the City of Rawlins are completing the final connections from the spring boxes to our new 18-inch spring line. There are several pumps running to keep muddy water caused by the excavation and construction from entering our spring lines. However, since Wednesday morning, these pumps have not been able to keep up with the high flow and turbid water is still entering the spring line. We have temporarily opened the hydrant at Miller Hill to let the turbid water out of the line. If we bring the turbid water to Atlantic Rim, it would be mixed with our well water. If we allow the turbid spring water to mix with our well water, it will plug our filters at the Water Treatment Plant. We anticipate spring flow will be less turbid by Friday evening and are excited to see what results from the new pipe bring by early next week.

The wells are still producing 650 -700 gallons per minute which we are bringing to the plant for treatment and then community use. This helps keep water in our tanks to continue normal indoor water use.  However, with the two days of highly turbid spring water, our tanks have not returned to our normal levels of approximately 80-90%. As of Thursday afternoon, the high-pressure tanks are at 56% and the low-pressure tanks are at 38%. With the low tank levels, turf irrigation (lawn watering) is not allowed for the week of August 29th at this point. We anticipate knowing more about the new spring flows with the new 10,000-foot pipeline by mid-week and will adjust the irrigation restrictions appropriately.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

                First, thank you to everyone who conserved over the weekend! Although the Painted Hill Tank did drop to 27%, due to your conservation efforts and the water treatment team’s work, our tank levels are on the rise. 

Infrastructure/Treatment Updates: 

  • Last Week Update: Due to the construction at the springs, we had turbid water coming into our treatment plant that is not able to be cleaned efficiently. That water was redirected to Atlantic Rim so it would not cause more problems at our treatment plant while we waited for the clear water to be restored. By declaring Limited Water Use over the weekend and not allowing watering of lawns for this week, we are on track to bring tank levels back to normal levels. 
  • Replacement of 10,000 feet of woodstave pipeline with PVC (Phase 1): This construction project makes the water more turbid than our plant can efficiently treat.  As the connections continue through the week, we have additional staff monitoring and pumping at the springs to minimize impacts at the Water Treatment Plant. However, if the water does become turbid, we will route it into the reservoirs. The crew is also finalizing the 150 feet of additional french drains to collect more water in Sage Creek Basin. 
  • Colorado Water Break on 8/17: The water break on Colorado Street was a result of wear-and-tear due to aging on our in-town cast iron water pipes. Water breaks happen semi-regularly. Our Utilities Division is dedicated to repairing the problems and restoring water as quickly as possible. This particular break was a split/crack that grew into a much bigger hole due it being a high-pressure line. That did affect the amount of water in our tanks. However, this break did not cause the Limited Water Use. Even if this break had not occurred, we would have called Limited Water Use for safety due to the high turbidity of water coming to the plant. 

Funding/Administrative Updates: 

  • Grants & State Involvement: We have been in communication with the State of Wyoming.  We have received one grant from the state, a State Land and Investment Board (SLIB) Mineral Royalties Grant (MRG) for $675,000. We have also applied for a SLIB ARPA Stimulus Grant in the amount of $7.5 million. The grant will be presented to the SLIB board sometime this winter. If you would like to show your support for this grant you can find more information on their members and meetings at https://lands.wyo.gov/boards/state-loan-and-investment-board. We will share when the date of the hearing is released. 
  • Water Rates: We have hired Rate Specialist Carl Brown to evaluate and propose necessary rate changes for our water enterprise fund. We expect to post his rate study early next week. Mr.Brown will be presenting at a City Council workshop on September 6th, 2022 at 6:00 pm about his findings and recommendations. The public is encouraged to come and hear the presentation, or to watch remotely on Channel 191 or YouTube. We will also have overflow seating for viewing of the presentation in the City Hall basement. Want to share your feedback on the proposal with Council and Staff? Visit www.rawlinswy.gov/rateinput or call 307-328-4500 ext. 1022 after the presentation.
  • Parks & City Watering: Park and other green space watering has been turned off as of August 18th until further notice. We will not water parks the week of August 21st. 

Water Supply/Storage Updates: 

  • Tanks, Flows, and Storage Data: This week our flow from the Springs/Wells averaged 1.81 million gallons per day. Our community usage averaged 1.81 million gallons per day. Our high-pressure tanks averaged 49% full and our low-pressure tanks averaged 57% full.  Full daily data can be found at www.rawlinswy.gov/381/Flows-and-Storage-Data 
  • Construction Water: If you have a construction project that is in need of water, please call Public Works Director Cody Dill at 307-328-4599. 

Untreated Springs Water Image Friday vs. Saturday   Water Rate Notice

Sunday, August 21, 2022 

Thanks to your conservation efforts and the water treatment team’s work, indoor water use can now return to normal. While waiting for the turbid water to pass, our high-pressure tanks dropped to around 30% and our low-pressure tanks remained stable at around 50%. As of Sunday afternoon, the high-pressure tanks are at 46% and the low-pressure tanks are at 48%. ­­

With the low tank levels, turf irrigation is not allowed during the week of August 21st. The only outdoor watering allowed will be for gardens, flowers, bushes, etc. as needed. As we follow this week’s turf irrigation restriction, we hope to return our tanks to normal levels of approximately 80-90%.

As we continue to work on the spring line connections in the Sage Creek Basin, please continue to be mindful of your water use and conserve where you can. 

Questions? We will do another live video on Monday morning and will answer questions you submit over the weekend. Please submit them to crelations@rawlinswy.gov by Monday morning at 8 am. In addition, we will provide our regular weekly update on Tuesday.

There is also extensive information at www.rawlinswy.gov/water, with the most current updates always posted at  https://www.rawlinswy.gov/385/Water-News.  

Friday, August 19, 2022


Limited Water Use as a Preventative Measure

Please refrain from all unnecessary water use to allow the tanks to refill. If limited water use is not followed, our tanks could drain and cause another Boil Water Advisory. 

                Under limited water use, the restrictions are: 

  • Short showers as necessary
  • Maximum 1 load of laundry per day per family, only necessary items
  • Washing dishes with the minimum amount of water; dishwasher only when full 
  • No outdoor irrigation.

As we are attaching the spring lines to our new pipeline, we are receiving very turbid water. Our treatment process has slowed down significantly, and we cannot put out the normal amount of treated water to the community. We have all hands on deck to clean the filters and keep the water flowing. We expect the turbidity to reduce over the weekend and will keep you informed. 

Please reduce your water use to protect our community from more significant impacts later this weekend. 

Want more information about our water projects and infrastructure? Please visit www.rawlinswy.gov/water or call 307-328-4530.


Tuesday, August 16, 2022 

Funding/Administrative Updates: 

  • Water Rates: We have hired Rate Specialist Carl Brown to evaluate and propose necessary rate changes for our water enterprise fund. Mr.Brown will be presenting at a City Council workshop on September 6th, 2022 at 6:00 pm about his findings and recommendations. The public is encouraged to come and hear the presentation, or to watch remotely on Channel 191 or YouTube. We will also have overflow seating for viewing of the presentation in the City Hall basement. After the recommendations are made, we will have a form available for community feedback on our website. Please watch for more information in next week’s update, and our on website and Facebook page. 
  • Town of Sinclair Contract: The City of Rawlins provides the Town of Sinclair with treated water per our 2003 Joint Powers Agreement. After the water passes our meter and into their tank, the Town of Sinclair controls the use of their water. This includes the Town billing their water users and maintaining their own infrastructure. The Town of Sinclair provides raw river water from the North Platte River based on their pre-1904 water rights. They also pay for treated water at a 40% discount.
  • Parks & City Watering: As of the first week of August, parks have reduced the watering of our city spaces by half (from our original significantly reduced amount) until further notice. 

Infrastructure Updates: 

  • Replacement of 10,000 feet of woodstave pipeline with PVC (Phase 1): Crews are still working to make the final connections of the springs to the new pipeline. They are also installing 150 feet of additional french drains to collect more water in the springs basin at spring boxes 11, 12, and 13. The crew is also finalizing earthwork, reseeding, and other details on the final punch list. 
  • Pre-Treatment Plant: Kruger, the specialists who initially constructed the plant, made a field visit last week to perform an initial review of the equipment. After the equipment was individually tested, all but one piece is operating well. Staff is still ordering the equipment and preparing the plant as recommended by Y2 Consultants during the July 14th visit. Samples of our water are also being collected this week so that our pre-treatment plant process can be customized. 
  • Water Treatment SCADA: During the power outage last Friday, the water treatment plant ran on generator power without issue for over six hours. We also found a failure in one of our devices to measure tank levels at the Hospital Tank, so we are manually reading tanks until this IT issue can be corrected. This may have caused inaccurate readings at the Hospital Tank for the last week or so. 

Water Supply/Storage Updates: 

  • Tanks, Flows, and Storage Data: This week our flow from the Springs/Wells averaged 1.85 million gallons per day. Our community usage averaged 1.97 million gallons per day. Our high-pressure tanks averaged 65% full and our low-pressure tanks averaged 65% full.  Full daily data can be found at www.rawlinswy.gov/381/Flows-and-Storage-Data 
  • Construction Water: If you have a construction project that is in need of water, please call Public Works Director Cody Dill at 307-328-4599. 


Tuesday, August 9, 2022


Funding/Administrative Updates: 

  • ARPA 2022-23 - America Rescue Plan Act Water Project We are submitting an almost $7.5 million grant to the State Land and Investment Board this week for the replacement of wood stave pipeline and spring boxes in the Sage Creek Basin and to provide repairs and maintenance to the 32-mile pipeline from Sage Creek Basin to the water treatment plant. If fully funded and work stays within the contingency, this project will replace all woodstave pipes and outdated collection systems in the Sage Creek Basin. It will also make major repairs to our 32-mile steel pipeline, such as blow-offs and air valves. Our city matching funds of over $1.2 million will be coming from Chokecherry Impact Assistance funds. 
  • Digitization: After difficulties in finding historic designs and as-built plans, we are working to digitize the hundreds of plans which are currently stored in the City. We are also recording surveys at the Carbon County Land Office to help protect our natural sources of water and other city assets. 
  • Water Rates: We have hired Carl Brown, the only rate analyst recommended by the Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems, to evaluate and propose necessary rate changes for our water enterprise fund. This includes evaluating current and future needs, analyzing various options, and then presenting recommendations to City Council. Our primary goal is to have rates that are structured in a fair way. For more information on Carl Brown, visit gettinggreatrates.com. 
  • Parks & City Watering: As of the first week of August, parks have reduced the watering of our city spaces by half (from our original significantly reduced amount) until further notice. 
  • Restrictions: 
    1. Water exemptions are permitted for one-time events, such as a vacation. This could be used to water on an alternate day if you are gone, etc. If you are in need of an exemption, please email crelations@rawlinswy.gov 
    2. With ongoing discussion with City staff and experts from UW Extension Offices, once-a-week turf watering and as-needed watering for gardens, trees, etc. is still the professionally recommended approach.  For full restriction details, please visit www.rawlinswy.gov/379/Outdoor-Irrigation-Restrictions

Water Supply/Storage Updates: 

  • Tanks, Flows, and Storage Data: This week our flow from the Springs/Wells averaged 1.9 million gallons per day. Our community usage averaged 2.2 million gallons per day. Our high-pressure tanks averaged 87% full and our low-pressure tanks averaged 72% full.  Full daily data can be found at www.rawlinswy.gov/381/Flows-and-Storage-Data 

Infrastructure Updates: 

  • Replacement of 10,000 feet of woodstave pipeline with PVC (Phase 1): All issues found during the scoping of the new PVC pipeline have been repaired. All but one final connection point has been located so that we can continue to install vaults to join the spring line to the new PVC pipe. 

Tuesday, August 2, 2022 

The City of Rawlins would like to share updates regarding our water system improvements and funding. We will now be releasing updates on most Tuesdays, even if there is not much progress to report.

“Water infrastructure continues to be the council’s and staff’s #1 priority.  Despite our current difficult situation, we have water rights that far exceed our historical water usage. As we work to repair and expand our water collection in the springs, bring our pre-treatment plant back online, and implement the water cemetery line project, our situation will continue to improve for next summer and the future. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work through these repairs over the next few years,” stated City Manager Shawn Metcalf.

Infrastructure Updates: 

  • Replacement of 10,000 feet of woodstave pipeline with PVC (Phase 1): 
    1. Due to the vital nature of this line (as it brings the majority of clean water to our communities), last week our team used a camera to scope almost 1,000 feet of the new line for quality assurance. This week RMI is working to repair all issues which were found.   
    2. We have modified the original emergency contract to use vaults instead of T-connections to join the spring line to the new PVC pipe. This will make them more accessible and functional in the future. Due to difficulties in accessing the historic as-built plans, numerous potholes have been dug to find the original connection points from the woodstave pipeline to the springs.  
    3. We also previously amended the emergency contract so that bedding material would be installed around the new PVC pipeline. 
  • Pre-Treatment Plant: On July 14th our staff had a field visit with Y2 Consultants, our engineering team for the pre-treatment plant. Currently, our staff is ordering the necessary equipment and parts, as well as cleaning and preparing the plant. Y2 Consultants and Kruger, the water treatment specialists who initially constructed the plant, are making a field visit the second week of August for the next step of evaluation and testing. After the review, it is now unlikely the plant will be online this watering season.  However, bringing the pre-treatment plant online is the most likely solution to reduce water restrictions for next year.  
  • $675,000 Grant: Preparing to hire an engineering firm to design the blow-offs and cathodic protection which are critical to the protection of our main 32-mile steel transmission line; this work is funded by the $675,000 State Land and Investment Board (SLIB) Mineral Royalties Grant (MRG). 
  • Cemetery Water Line: This line is currently being engineered. Once installed, it will bring raw water from the North Platte to the cemetery. Our design also includes the capacity to potentially irrigate green spaces throughout our community in the future. This is a project funded by the 2019 “6th Penny” Specific Purpose Tax.

Water Supply/Storage Updates: 

  • Springs and Wells: As is common in the late summer, we are receiving less water per day from the Springs and Wells. For example, on June 1st we received 2.55 million gallons of water from the springs and wells, but on August 1st we received 2.27 million gallons of water from the springs and wells. 
  • Reservoirs: Although Peaking Reservoir is almost completely full and Atlantic Rim is about half full, they are more turbid than usual at this time of year. Due to this turbidity, our water treatment team can only mix limited amounts of reservoir water with the spring/well water. If more reservoir water is added, the filters clog, and treatment grinds to a halt. We are currently processing the most reservoir water that we can treat efficiently, even with four operational filters.
  • Tanks: Our treated water storage tanks have risen to manageable levels at this point. However, they are not yet to where our treatment staff is completely comfortable. Our tank levels as of Monday are at 89% on the low-pressure side and 76% on the high-pressure.  As of last week, they were at 59% and 71%. Thank you for your efforts to help these tanks return to an appropriate level. 
  • Flows and Storage Data: To improve transparency, we are now listing more information on our website and training more staff on uploading data. This can be found at www.rawlinswy.gov/water Our new data, beginning August 1st, will show:
    1. Water flow from Springs and Wells (currently shown)
    2. Total amount of water processed (not currently shown, can be used to determine reservoir water usage which began in mid-July)
    3. Water consumed by the community (currently shown)
    4. Percentage in treated water storage tanks, divided between high-pressure (Hospital and Painted Hills Tanks) and low-pressure (Tank Farm) as they operate independently. 

Funding/Administrative Updates: 

  • Warnings/Fines: After a careful review of the ordinance, we are required to give each home a warning prior to issuing a fine. Our main goal is to keep our community safe, so please continue to take the restrictions seriously. 
  • Enforcement: We currently have two staff members who review water usage data, as well as two staff members who are monitoring for watering around town. 
  • Parks & City Watering: When the tanks dropped drastically last week, the City stopped irrigating parks, the cemetery, and all green spaces for one week. The City will reduce watering at our locations before asking citizens to do the same. We will be reducing the watering of our city spaces by half until further notice. 
  • Restrictions: With ongoing discussion with City staff and experts from UW Extension Offices, once-a-week turf watering and as-needed watering for gardens, trees, etc. is still the professionally recommended approach.  For full restriction details, please visit www.rawlinswy.gov/water 
  • Funding Overview: 

Amount

Source

Purpose

Date

$737,980.00

American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) Stimulus Funding

Phase 1 –Replacement of 10,000 Feet of Woodstave Pipeline and 5 Repairs to Steel Transmission Line  

Sept 28, 2021

$812,019.00

Loan from the General Fund

Phase 1

Sept 28, 2021

$1,252,292.00

 

Impact Assistance from the Power Company of Wyoming Chokecherry Project 

Phase 1 and of Pre-Treatment Plant 

February 15, 2022

$675,000 

State Land and Investment Board (SLIB) Minerals Royalty Grant (MRG) 

Design of our blow-offs; design and installation of cathodic protection on our main 32-mile steel transmission line. 

Grant received June 2, 2022 

  • USDA Rural Development Loan: We are currently working through the environmental assessments stage of this loan application, which includes approval from eight state and federal agencies. We are also in discussion about the engineering required to apply for the loan.  We are also continuing to compare the benefits of alternative loan programs as they are found, such as the forgivable DEQ/EPA Rural Water loan, which will require similar processes. 

For more information on water projects, as well as our water system as a whole, please visit www.rawlinswy.gov/water. You can also contact Mira Miller, City of Rawlins Community Relations Coordinator, at 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.

Monday, July 25, 2022


Beginning today, a $250 fine will be issued immediately for irrigation violations. Water levels in the treated water tanks have dropped consistently throughout July. Community water use has increased to around 3 million gallons a day while the flows from the springs and wells have decreased, as is common in the summer.  

If water use does not go down, “Limited Water Use” will likely be declared, and all outdoor irrigation will cease. Water restrictions will be in place all summer and may become more strict if flows continue to decrease from the springs and wells.  

The City is currently: 

  • Pausing all park and cemetery irrigation until further notice. Parks will likely be watered every other week moving forward. 
  • Using water from Peaking reservoir at a low rate, due to its unusually high turbidity.  
  • Switching water flows from the the existing woodstave pipeline to the new 10,000 feet of PVC pipe.  
  • Our contracted engineers made their initial review of the Water Pretreatment Plant, and our staff is in the process of ordering the necessary equipment and parts, as well as cleaning and preparing the plant. After the review, it is now clear the plant will not be online this watering season.  
  • Preparing to hire an engineering firm to design the blow-offs and cathodic protection on our main 32-mile steel transmission line funded by the $675,000 State Land and Investment Board (SLIB) grant 
  • Finalizing a $7,452,173.91 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) 2022-23 Grant for replacement of a portion of the wood stave pipeline and spring boxes in the Sage Creek Basin and provide repairs to the 32-mile pipeline from Sage Creek Basin                   

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Update as of 6:00pm: Tank level is now above 16 feet. The tank is 20 feet tall and holds 1/2 million gallons. 
- - - 
Update as of 12:30pm: Power has been restored to the Sinclair Water Tank operations vault. The water tank level is now above 8 feet. 
- - -
Originally published at 9:45am: 
Sinclair Residents: Please see the message from Mayor Leif Johansson: Town of Sinclair. The Sinclair water tank is currently being filled. Conserve water throughout the day. Do not irrigate today 07-06-2022. Thank you.
- - - - 
On Sunday night, July 3rd, a lightning storm damaged the City of Rawlins’ Water Treatment Plant SCADA system, which is used to gather and analyze data to initiate and monitor processes. Without this system, alarms and monitoring cannot happen as normal. The City of Rawlins contacted our SCADA contractor, and on July 5th, the contracted SCADA company began working to repair the system. 

The Sinclair Water Tank operations vault was also without power. Without power, their tank did not automatically refill. Due to these two factors, the Sinclair Water tank did not refill as normal, and no alarms were received. The pressure loss was not significant enough to require a boil water advisory. City of Rawlins and Town of Sinclair operators manually opened the valve to fill the tank as soon as the issue was discovered. 
Sinclair residents are asked to conserve water on July 6th, 2022. The half-million-gallon tank is expected to take 16-20 hours to refill under limited water use.  


June 21, 2022

The City of Rawlins recently made three major achievements in our water infrastructure projects:  pipeline installation in the Sage Creek Basin, delivery and installation of screens for Filter #1, and received a $675,000 State Land and Investment Board Mineral and Royalties Grant (SLIB MRG).
For the replacement of some of the woodstave pipeline in the Sage Creek Basin, Rocky Mountain Industrial Construction Services (RMI) has installed the PVC pipeline parallel to the existing woodstave pipeline for the full 10,000 feet. They are now testing the pipeline, and will then switch our active flow from the woodstave pipeline to the PVC pipe. Once the flows have made it to the treatment plant, we will be able to judge how much additional water has been recovered. This project was funded by City Council last fall using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and Impact Assistance funds from the Power Company of Wyoming. Thanks to RMI for their hard work through the weather and rough terrain this winter and spring!
Our water treatment plant has also received the final screens for Filter #1, which were ordered in August 2021 and funded by Impact Assistance funds from the Power Company of Wyoming. They were delayed due to manufacturing and shipping issues, but have now been installed and are fully operational. This means all four Water Treatment Plant filters are completely functional, although this summer our team has been able to keep up with the reduced spring flow without a 4th filter. 
Lastly, the City of Rawlins received the second-highest award amount given by the State Land and Investment Board (SLIB) on June 2nd. This $675,000 grant is for the design of our blow-offs and cathodic protection on our main 32-mile steel transmission line. It is also to construct the cathodic protection. Due to this grant, we are able to immediately jump into this as our next phase without waiting. We are currently working with the USDA to apply for their low-interest loans which do have a component of principal forgiveness, but this can be a very lengthy process. We are also eagerly awaiting the application period for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and ARPA funding on July 1st.  


May 19th, 2022

Quick updates on what you can do on our website!  
** Sign a petition to our state officials to fund water infrastructure repair grants! https://www.rawlinswy.gov/382/Petition-for-State-Water-Funding
** View data on water available, use, and treated tank levels! https://www.rawlinswy.gov/381/Flows-and-Storage-Data
** Watch the Water Town Hall from Thursday evening and "Maintaining landscapes on Limited Water" from Carbon County Extension! https://www.rawlinswy.gov/380/Video-Reports


Early May Updates: 

In May this site was extensively updated. Some of those updates were accompanied by videos linked below. 

May 14, 2022 Video

May 11, 2022 Video

April 29th, 2022

The City of Rawlins is under water restrictions for the watering season beginning today.  As with most of Wyoming, we are in a drought which is worsened by our infrastructure issues. Without pulling together to conserve water, our community will likely drain our tanks, experience boil-water advisories, and potentially lose fire protection.
We currently receive around 1.5 million gallons of water a day into the treatment plant and consistently use 1 million gallons per day for household use. Our flows are half of what they were last year at this time. In the summer, water use increases to 3 to 6 million gallons of water per day because of outdoor watering. This obvious shortfall in water supply needs to be taken seriously to have water available for our community. If our community waters the same amount as last year during restrictions, we estimate that our water tanks would be completely empty by mid-to-late June.
We have reached “Level D” as defined in Rawlins Municipal Code 13.10. Although the code does allow for more substantial restrictions to be placed, for now, the restrictions are set as:
*Residences/businesses may only water one day per week before 10 am or after 6 pm. Even-numbered residences/businesses may water on Thursdays and odd-numbered residences/businesses may water on Monday. We recommend a maximum of up to sixty minutes of watering for each zone/area of turf on the designated day. We will monitor for excessive water use due to the severity of our situation.
*Trees, bushes, gardens, etc., may be watered as needed using a manually operated hose with an automatic shut-off valve before 10 am or after 6 pm.
*Do not allow water to run onto or pool in gutters, streets, and sidewalks.
*Vehicles may be washed only using a manually operated hose with an automatic shut-off valve. Please only wash when you feel it is absolutely necessary and use the minimum amount of water possible.
*Washing parking lots, sidewalks, or driveways with water is prohibited except for construction, safety, and health reasons.
*Any water that can be conserved will make difference. Even the simple things, such as turning off the water while brushing teeth and fixing dripping faucets, will make a difference when done by our whole community.
*The University of Wyoming Extension Office has many resources to offer scientific advice on water prioritization, vegetation water needs, and the design of lower-water-use landscapes. These will be posted at rawlinswy.org/water. The Extension Office also offers one-on-one consulting. Please call  307-328-2642.
If you have circumstances that require more water, such as newly laid sod, please email crelations@rawlins-wyoming.com or drop off a letter during regular operating hours with a request for a permit that explains why your circumstances deserve an exception to the current restrictions. Please make sure to include your contact information and address. We will get back to by the next business day at the latest. 
Our ordinance allows for fines from $250-$750 for breaking the water restrictions. At least one warning will be given per residence to ensure everyone is aware before receiving a fine. Water use will be monitored by city staff throughout the town and through our meter reading software.
Typically, our Parks Division begins irrigation in late April. However, public safety is our City’s first priority. Parks Superintendent Tyrell Perry said, “We recognize the importance of water for public safety and that will be the main consideration this summer.” The Parks Division is postponing all irrigation of turf at this time; and will be meeting with the Water Division on a regular basis to see what watering can occur through the summer. Our parks, green spaces, and sports field will likely be brown and dry this year. We understand that the restricted watering will likely be seriously detrimental to the long-term health of our parks.
The City of Rawlins and the Carbon County Extension Office will be hosting a Town Hall regarding our water infrastructure, need for water restrictions, and watering prioritization on May 19th at 6 pm at the Jeffrey Center. We encourage the public to attend and ask questions as we discuss wise water use, the current state of infrastructure, and the water restrictions. This will also be broadcast live online.
Council is currently working to amend Rawlins Municipal Code 13.10: Water Use Management, and public feedback is welcome.  It is scheduled for discussion and review at the City Council meetings on May 3 and 17th. These meetings are held at City Hall, 521 W. Cedar, at 7:30 pm.  
The City of Rawlins has been working diligently this winter on our water infrastructure, including allocating over $2 million in repairs to our water infrastructure this year alone, and applied for over $11 million in grants. We are also actively pursuing grants and loans for our major water infrastructure improvements which will exceed $15 million.  Currently, 10,000 feet of woodstave pipeline is being replaced in the Sage Creek Basin, the source of our spring water.  We are also working to bring the pre-treatment plant back online to help clean river water. However, until these projects are complete, we cannot estimate what impact this will have on our water supply.
For a copy of our report on water infrastructure and the critical water event this March, visit rawlinswy.org/water or call 307-328-4500 to have a copy mailed to you. It was also included in the City View. For a City of Rawlins Water Treatment Plant tour, please call 307-328-4564.  For more information, please contact Mira Miller, City of Rawlins Community Relations Coordinator, at 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.