Nevada Division of Environmental Protection - Office of Financial Assistance

Sierra Estates General Improvement District Water System Improvement Project - Preliminary Engineering Report

BACKGROUND

Sierra Estates General Improvement District (GID) serves 65 residential accounts in Northern Douglas County. The maximum build out of the subdivision is 70 customers. The GID has one groundwater well as a source of supply with a capacity of approximately 150 gallons per minute. A water transmission inter-tie with Douglas County will remedy a Nevada Administrative Code deficiency. The Bureau of Health Protection Services cited the Sierra Estates GID on July 30, 2002, for two specific deficiencies related to its source of supply. The utility does not have backup power for its groundwater well pump nor does the utility have a secondary source of supply (i.e., a redundant source of water.)

A Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) describing the water system will provide an infrastructure analysis for the GID. The PER is the first phase of a multi-phased engineering and infrastructure rehabilitation project. At the present time, the GID cannot fully assess its compliance issues. For instance, the storage is only 60,000 gallons and the system pressure varies from 30-60 pounds per square inch. The PER will find a solution to this situation.

There are water system infrastructure components that may be in need of repair, rehabilitation or replacement. The PER will document compliance issues and determine alternatives for compliance. The PER will also address the utility's budget, capital improvement needs and desires, and ultimately, water rates.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Sierra Estates General Improvement District applied for a grant under the AB 198 program for completing a water system improvement project preliminary engineering report (PER). The grant was approved by the Board for Financing Water Projects on December 16, 2003, for $11,400 (57% of the total eligible project cost of $20,000).

The scope of the project is to prepare a PER for a water system improvement project.

PROJECT STATUS

Work is continuing on the PER.