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The City of Rawlins is making strides in fortifying its water infrastructure with the launch of its fourth major project, the Sage Creek Springs Rehabilitation B1 Project. Through 2025, this project will focus on designing and permitting the replacement of 12 spring water collection boxes in the Sage Creek drainage area. These boxes are critical to Rawlins' water supply, accounting for an estimated two-thirds of the system's total output. The spring 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. The Springs Rehabilitation B1 Project is estimated to be $1.87 million, including design, permitting and construction. At this time, the project is in the design and permitting phase, with funding from a federal ARPA grant to the city. The Springs Rehabilitation B1 Project is one of eight - Priority 1 projects itemized in the city's 2024 Water Master Plan. Three of the eight priority projects have previously been completed or are in progress, including the pre-treatment plant startup, the SCADA system renovation, and the replacement of 10,000 feet of wood stave pipeline to rehabilitate the Sage Creek Springs collection infrastructure. All eight projects have a 2024 value of about $33 million. Completion of these projects is expected to take several years.

Treated water tanks, known as the tank farm, are located near the water treatment plant south of town. Treated water from the water treatment plant is transported to the city and  stored at the Tank Farm in two 7.75-million-gallon steel tanks. Why the tank farm needs replacement Workers dove into the tanks to inspect their condition in June 2023. A 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. What's next? The city is working to secure funding to replace the tank farm, which cost an estimated $4.7 million according to the 2024 Wyoming Water Development Commission Level I Study.

The City of Rawlins is taking critical steps to improve our water infrastructure and ensure reliable services for residents and businesses. Following the water rate increase in the summer of 2024, the Water Enterprise Fund has been able to allocate $2 million  toward in-town projects. The allocated $2 million will be directed toward: Water Line Replacements : Upgrading outdated and deteriorating lines to reduce leaks and ensure consistent flow. Compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule : Prioritizing safety through work that brings our systems into strict federal compliance and mitigates health risks associated with aging infrastructure. Why are these investments necessary? Our water and sewer services operate as enterprise funds , meaning they must be self-sustaining through fees rather than being supported by taxes or the General Fund. This ensures transparency and independence, but it also means that fees need to cover all necessary infrastructure updates, equipment, and staffing. Without adequate funding: Service quality diminishes. Maintenance of aging infrastructure becomes increasingly difficult. The risk of service disruptions and regulatory non-compliance grows. To tackle these challenges, the City of Rawlins must secure loans to fund large-scale infrastructure projects. However, we can only obtain these loans if we demonstrate our ability to repay the debt—hence the approved water and sewer rate increases.

At the heart of Rawlins' water treatment system lies an important technology—the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. This system silently works behind the scenes, monitoring, and controlling the city’s water and wastewater treatment infrastructure. It not only ensures water quality but also automates adjustments and sends out alerts when issues arise. However, as vital as this technology is, the current SCADA system has grown outdated, leading to vulnerabilities and disruptions. Why does Rawlins need a SCADA upgrade? The aging SCADA system has presented multiple challenges for the city's water supply chain. Frequent network failures and outdated components make it increasingly difficult to maintain the system effectively. Spare parts for repairs are becoming harder to find. Without modern technology in place, Rawlins' water operations risk potential inefficiencies and long-term interruptions., Funding the SCADA modernization Rawlins secured a $962,951 Community Development Block Grant from the Water Development Authority. The city has allocated additional $200,000 of Chokecherry Impact Assistance Funds to match the grant . What’s next on the timeline? The SCADA project is officially underway, with completion estimated for early summer 2025. Once finished, the new system will strengthen Rawlins’ water and wastewater treatment systems, boosting efficiency and reducing the risk of failures. History 1990s Existing SCADA dates back to the 1990s. 2023 The city received a $962,951 grant from the Wyoming Community Development Authority to replace the aging computers and controllers on its water system. 2024 The City of Rawlins awarded SCADA contract to Dorsett Controls, an engineering firm from Layton, Utah.

Our transmission system includes 94 air-vacuum valves, many of which are showing signs of age. These valves are critical for ensuring water flow remains smooth and uninterrupted. However, as they deteriorate, problems like air pockets and inefficient water movement can arise. Four air-vaccum valves were replaced during the critical water event in 2022. Installing these valves involved temporarily shutting off water from the springs to the water treatment plant. During this time, we relied on water from our Nugget Well formation and supplemented it with storage water from the Peaking Reservoir to meet the demand for our Rawlins and Sinclair customers. Overcoming supply chain issues in 2022 The lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic added a layer of complexity to our work. Material shortages caused delays, with some repair components taking months to procure. For instance, sourcing a critical pipe required days of calls before locating it in stock in Salt Lake City, leading our team to make a special trip to retrieve it. Similarly, obtaining six new air-vacuum valves involved extensive outreach to vendors nationwide, with delivery dates ranging from overnight to 10 days. To prevent future disruptions, we’ve made a proactive decision to stockpile essential materials for spring line repairs, helping us stay ahead of supply chain issues. What's next? We are performing ongoing assessments and regularly remove sediment from the air-vacuum valve vaults. The city is working to secure funding for the rest of the repairs to the transmission line, (including replacing the air-vaccum valves)  which cost an estimated $5.7 million according to the 2024 Wyoming Water Development Commission Level I Study.

Imagine relying on a pipeline system that's over 100 years old. That was the reality for our city, as the original 12-inch wood stave, steel-banded pipes in the Sage Creek Springs Basin worked long past their prime. 2022 milestone achieved The city took an important first step in replacing critical sections of this aging infrastructure. A total of 10,000 feet of the wood stave pipeline was replaced with 18-inch PVC piping. This upgrade didn’t just address the leaks—it’s also improved water flows to the treatment plant, ensuring a more efficient system for both residents and businesses. The cost of this project totaled $2,150,000, with funding sourced from: American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stimulus Funding : $737,980 Loan from the City’s General Fund : $812,019 Chokecherry Impact Assistance Funds : $1,317,000 What’s next? Another 20,300 feet of wood stave pipeline along Sage and Beaver Creeks still needs to be upgraded. Completing these replacements will further reduce water loss, increase system efficiency, and ensure that our city is prepared for the demands of the future. The city is working to secure funding to replace the rest of the wood stave pipeline.