FAQS

Yes, the replacement has saved water that was lost to leaks in the aging wood stave pipeline. The Sage Creek Basin supplies 74% of Rawlins’ municipal water supply, making it the most important water source for the city. Rawlins plans to replace all the wood stave pipeline in the area. Completed in 2022, a $2.15 million project replaced 10,000 feet of the over 100-year-old wood stave pipeline along Sage Creek with 18-inch PVC piping. The benefits of PVC include increased durability, reduced leakage and improved water conservation.

Completed in 2022, the $2.15 million project to replace 10,000 feet of wood stave pipeline was funded through $737,980 of American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) Stimulus Funding,$812,019 loan from the city’s General Fund and $1,317,000 from Chokecherry Impact Assistance Funds.

All of the wood stave pipeline is in the springs, there is none in other parts of the system. As of 2022, the Sage Creek Basin had a total of 30,300 feet of wood stave pipeline and another 5,000 feet of aging PVC pipeline. Last year, Rawlins removed 10,000 feet of the wood stave pipeline along Sage Creek. Rawlins is seeking funding to replace the remaining 20,300 feet of wood stave pipeline along Beaver Creek, estimated to cost $4.1 million. Replacement of the 5,000 feet of old PVC pipeline in the basin is a low priority until further investigation can determine its condition.

Since our staff generally, and one Community Relations/PIO, spend a lot of time thinking about water, it can be hard for us to understand what information we are missing. If you have additional questions you would like to see addressed on our website, or one-on-one, please reach out to crelations@rawlinswy.gov or 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.

Our water system is an enterprise fund, which means it runs as an independent business and must be self-sufficient by law. General funding, such as sales tax, cannot be used for our water system.