Niobrara County, WY
Niobrara County, WY - Drinking Water
Water
Wastewater
Structures
Committees/Events
Civil Works
Project Background
Project Background: A small rural community in Niobrara County, WY, is working to address concerns regarding their water storage tank. The current storage tank was built in the early 1940's at a capacity of 217,000 gallons. Some of the current issues include the size being too large for the served population, a deteriorating, unstable base, and inoperable water level indicator, although more deficiencies are expected to be present. These issues have led to significant water loss from the tank. Additionally, there are concerns that natural disasters would topple the tank, causing more water loss and damages. Despite the community conducting some short-term fixes themselves, a lack of funding and expertise has rendered the community unable to implement a long term solution. The community is prioritizing the need for water storage, either through retrofitting the existing tank or constructing a new tank(s). The water tank is part of a larger effort to bolster the community’s water infrastructure. Midwest Assistance Partnership, an RCAP affiliate, has worked in the community for two years on drinking water projects, with previous projects including the community’s two wells that tested positive for radium and arsenic. The community was out of compliance based on these results, but with MAP’s assistance the community is now in the final stage of testing for their wells to come back into compliance. All tests have been passed thus far.
Description of the Community:
The community consists of 43 people, 28 homes, and 34 taps (industrial and residential). This community is reported to be at 44% low-income with an MHI of approximately $26,220. They are further identified as disadvantaged due to their 90th percentile risk for wildfire, 92nd percentile for energy costs, and having abandoned mines located nearby.
Project Scope of Work:
The project team will develop a Preliminary Engineering Report that outlines alternative solutions, and will work directly with the community to identify the recommended alternative. This PER will be used by the community for funding applications.