SECURING RELIABLE, CLEAN DRINKING WATER FOR THE
NEXT CENTURY
The City of Rawlins is taking steps to secure dependable access to clean drinking water for Rawlins, Wyoming for the next century. Leaks, corroded pipes and outdated systems threaten the city's ability to provide reliable drinking water. By upgrading our water infrastructure, we can ensure our community's health and well-being for generations. A recent Water Master Plan Level I Study by the Wyoming Water Development Commission highlights key solutions to address aging components of our water system. Together, we can ensure a better, safer future for Rawlins.
OUR WATER SYSTEM
Click the links to learn how each segment of our water system operates, repairs needed, and the status of the repairs.
COLLECTION INFRASTRUCTURE
How is our water collected?
Rawlins’ drinking water is collected from:
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Springs in Sage Creek Basin: Rawlins’ water (currently about 74%) primarily comes from springs along Sage Creek and Beaver Creek, delivered through 32 miles of pipeline from high on the Divide south of town. The water collection system, comprising 25 spring boxes and 37,000 feet of interconnected piping, routes collected water to a terminal concrete vault. These springs have provided water since 1924 and are influenced by seasonal snowmelt and precipitation levels. The water is mostly pure and needs little treatment.
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Nugget Aquifer: Thirteen miles south of Rawlins, three deep artesian wells have fed into the Sage Creek Basin pipeline since the mid-1980s. This is high-quality aquifer water and needs little treatment. Its higher salinity content causes the water to be softer, which is often noticeable late in the summer.
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North Platte River: From east of Rawlins, the North Platte River raw water supply is pumped in an 18-mile-long system of pipes to the water treatment plant or Atlantic Rim Reservoir. River water naturally contains more sediment, which requires additional treatment.
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Rawlins also utilizes three earthen reservoirs (Peaking, Atlantic Rim, and Rawlins Reservoirs) to store untreated water for later treatment and use when the springs and wells are not enough.
What repairs are needed to the collection infrastructure?
Wood Stave Pipe Replacement
The original 12-inch diameter, wood stave, steel-banded pipes are over a century old. These pipelines suffer from frequent leaks and inefficiencies, leading to substantial water loss. While the city replaced 10,000 feet in 2022, another 20,300 feet of wood stave pipeline along both Sage and Beaver Creeks needs to be replaced.
Spring and Junction Box Replacement
These boxes are where the water gets collected, dropped into pipelines and shipped to town. Many spring and junction boxes used to collect groundwater have deteriorated over time. Some boxes are over 100 years old. The collapse and clogging of collection laterals have reduced their effectiveness, risking water quality issues.
WOOD STAVE
Collection Infrastructure - Status of Repairs
​The city is working to secure funding for repairs to the collection system, which together cost an estimated $8.6 million according to the 2024 Wyoming Water Development Commission Level I Study.
TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE
How does our water get to town?
Our drinking water travels from the Sage Creek Basin and Nugget Aquifer through the Sage Creek Transmission Pipeline to the water treatment plant. Over 32 miles of pipeline carries the city's water from the springs, past the water treatment plant and the tank farm into the middle of the city.
Of the 32 miles, the steel transmission line that needs repair is 25.2 miles long, beginning at springs and ending near the Atlantic Rim Reservoir. This steel line was built in the late 1980s, replacing an old wooden pipeline that ran from the basin to the Atlantic Rim Reservoir. This steel line includes 16 blowoff valves, which are used to divert water out of the pipeline to allow maintenance downstream. The steel line also has 94 air-vacuum valves, which are used to automatically release air trapped in the line.
What repairs are needed to the transmission infrastructure?
Overall, the transmission line does not need to be replaced but repairs are needed.
Inactive Cathodic Protection System
The cathodic protection system, crucial for preventing rust damage to the steel pipeline, has been inactive for years, putting the pipeline at risk of corrosion and potential failure. The system does not have a sufficient anode bed drilled into the ground to complete the electrical circuit. The pipeline is corroding and will continue to do so until the cathodic protection system is repaired.
Blowoff Assemblies in Poor Condition
Blowoff valves must be exercised regularly to make sure they are operational and to flush any sediment trapped inside the valve. The valves have sediment buildup and corrosion. We are not currently able to utilize these valves due to their precarious condition. Catastrophic failure of one of the blowoffs could cut off our well and spring water supply to the treatment plant, as well as washing out the pipeline or road.
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Air-Vacuum Valves Need Repair
Aging 94 air-vacuum valves are causing potential air pockets and inefficient water flow, with several failed valves still awaiting replacement. We expect all to be replaced.
LEAKING BLOWOFFS
Transmission Infrastructure - Status of Repairs
The city is working to secure funding for repairs to the transmission line, which cost an estimated $5.7 million according to the 2024 Wyoming Water Development Commission Level I Study.
TREATMENT INFRASTRUCTURE
How does our water get treated?
The gravity-fed water from the pipeline then filtrates through diatomaceous earth filtration units inside the water treatment plant located just south of the city.
The water treatment plant filters and treats the water to comply with EPA primary and secondary water quality standards. The water treatment plant can treat up to 6 million gallons daily. However, the water treatment plant cannot effectively treat the turbid raw water from the reservoirs and river quickly enough to keep up with summer outdoor watering needs, which average 3-5x higher than indoor water winter use. The pretreatment plant is important for the city when relying on river or reservoir water. The pretreatment plant also provides redundancy for the city's water supply, in the event that water is not available from the springs and wells.
What repairs are needed to the treatment infrastructure?
Outdated SCADA System
The Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system monitors and controls the city's water treatment plant system, automatically adjusting and sending alerts when problems arise. The current outdated SCADA system is causing vulnerabilities in Rawlins' water supply chain, leading to network failures and difficulty finding spare parts. Estimated cost is $1.5 million.
Pretreatment Plant Issues
The pretreatment plant still needs work to better work with the water treatment plant. Ongoing adjustments to the plant's chemical and mechanical processes will improve the plant's utility and output.​
Treatment Infrastructure - Status of Repairs
STORAGE & DISTRIBUTION INFRASTRUCTURE
How does the treated water make it to our water taps?
Treated water from the water treatment plant is transported to the city in two transmission lines, one into the high-pressure zone and one into the low-pressure zone. The high-pressure zone has the 1 million-gallon steel Hospital Tank and the 3 million-gallon steel Painted Hills Tank. Water for the low-pressure zone is stored at the Tank Farm in two 7.75-million-gallon steel tanks. From the two pressure zones, water is delivered to customers in about 75 miles of distribution pipelines.
What repairs are needed to the storage & distribution infrastructure?
High Pressure Pipeline Rusting
The high pressure iron pipeline from the water treatment plant carries water to the storage tanks. The line was not designed with cathodic protection to prevent corrosion. This line is currently the sole supplier of water to the high-pressure tanks. Already the line suffered three holes in the line in May 2024.
Tank Farm Replacement
The treated water tanks, known as the tank farm, are located near the treatment plant south of town. A 2023 study showed that the interior steel floor of the tanks is extensively corroded, exposing the concrete foundation. Despite no signs of movement or leaks, the welds and seams are subpar with no remaining coating. Overall, the floor condition is deemed poor, necessitating tank replacement.
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In-Town Distribution System
Our in-town water distribution system is aging and prone to breaks. These are repaired by utility crews, including working overnight, when they occur.
PIPELINE FAILURE
Storage and Distribution Infrastructure - Status of Repairs
The city is working to secure funding to replace the tank farm, which will cost an estimated $4.7 million according to the 2024 Wyoming Water Development Commission Level I Study.
