Nevada Division of Environmental Protection - Office of Financial Assistance

Mason Water System Replacement Project

BACKGROUND

Situated in Mason Valley on the Walker River, Yerington began its existence as a small trading post and whiskey store called Pizen Switch. When the tiny settlement had grown to hamlet size, municipal pride demanded a more genteel handle and the citizens agreed on Greenfield. A few years later, in the 1870s, townspeople gambled that renaming their modest burg in his honor would be the decisive enticement for H. M. Yerington to extend a branch line of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad their way. Greenfield became Yerington, but H. M. did not extend the railroad. A railroad finally did materialize in Yerington, but not until the second decade of the 20th century when copper deposits, worked briefly in the 1860s, were brought back into production. Smelters were built and the Nevada Copper Belt Railroad extended from the mines west of town around the Singatse Range to connect with the Southern Pacific at Wabuska. In the 1920s, the district produced copper valued at several million dollars, but production dwindled after the end of the decade.

After the outbreak of World War II, the Anaconda Mining Company bought control of the major mines but decided against bringing them into large-scale production because of the long lag time required. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, however, Anaconda brought the mines into production under government contract. Anaconda shut the mine down in 1978 due to a combination of low copper prices and low profit margins on the sulfide ores. In 1982, Don and Joy Tibbals purchased the property from Atlantic Richfield Company, successor to Anaconda. In mid 1989, Arimetco International Inc. purchased the property. Arimetco is currently subject to, and under the protection of, the Bankruptcy Code.

The unincorporated town of Mason is located just south of Yerington on State Route 339 along the banks of the Walker River. The private water company for Mason was founded on November 2, 1931. On August 1, 1998, the City of Yerington purchased the water system from Mr. Don H. Tibbals who has also owned the Yerington Copper Mine. The debt associated with the water system acquision was retired in 2003. The existing Mason water system was installed between 1931 and 1970 and has exceeded its effective life. The poor condition of the storage tank and the many leaks within the system pose contamination concerns and may result in disruption to service. Many of the lines are undersized and fail to meet current fire codes. In addition, several main water lines in the City of Yerington do not currently meet the requirements of NAC 445A.67145 and require replacement.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The City of Yerington applied for a grant under the AB 198 program to assist the town of Mason with a water system replacement project to provide storage and distribution of water in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Health. The grant was approved by the Board for Financing Water Projects on March 29, 2001, for $3,989,271 (85% of the total eligible project cost of $4,693,260). By December 2002, the City of Yerington and the Town of Mason water systems were one system. The City requested the use of grant funds remaining from the original water system improvement project (approximately $450,000) for use in replacing main lines in the City of Yerington that were originally installed beneath homes and businesses. This additional work was reviewed by the Bureau of Health Protection Services and deemed necessary to bring the public water system into compliance with the regulations of the State Board of Health and the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

The scope of the project included: the installation of 70,000 feet of pipe including valves, connections and hydrants; the construction of a new storage tank; two connections to the City of Yerington water system and the replacement of main water lines in the City of Yerington.

PROJECT STATUS

The installation of all pipeline (including valves, connections, and hydrants), the installation of a new storage tank, connections to the City of Yerington water system all are complete. All project grant funding has been expended.