The mammoth drilling sound wall was removed Feb. 22 at the construction site on West Pioneer Boulevard. The blue wellhead 27A is ready for construction of a well house, pump, and motor. Photo by Linda Faas.

The Virgin Valley Water District Board dealt with only two actionable items at its Feb. 21 meeting, The short agenda, however, has significance for current and future development within the district.

Upon finalizing a letter to owners of unbuilt developments within the district, VVWD staff identified some inconsistencies within the District’s Rules, Regulations and Rates and Ordinance II, revised by the Nevada Legislature in 2015 as SB271. When developers or individuals plan to build within the District, they must submit plans to the water district requesting a conditional commitment for water service. They must meet requirements and pay fees to permit the developed project or building to be hooked into VVWD and obtain water and sewer service.

The economic downturn and other circumstances left many CCWS permits unfulfilled, and also outstanding. Indefinite holding of CCWS permits without actual development is not in the interest of the community. VVWD recognized this issue and moved to correct the problem, along with putting in place fee rules aimed to reduce the possibility of “water hookup speculation” when it requested a bill to amend its State-regulated rules in 2015.

The proposed revisions were discussed by the Board, but their only available action was to move that the revisions be posted and returned for formal public hearing at the March 7 meeting. The proposed revisions can be reviewed by the public at www.vvh2o.com, under the 2017-2-21 board agenda section. Call VVWD at 702-346-5731 with any questions.

Newly-drilled Well 27A is shown on Feb. 2 after completion of drilling at the West Pioneer Boulevard construction site. The huge sound wall was removed Feb. 22. Photo by Linda Faas.

The board approved a $39,900 consulting agreement with Forsgren Associates to manage the district’s Virgin River Transmission Line Project that is being constructed as a redundant water line to serve Mesquite from wells on the south side of Virgin River. Those wells provide 40 percent of the district’s water supply, and an interruption in flow through the current single waterline would mean that other district wells could not serve the entire city.

The construction contract for the project was awarded to Mesquite General Contracting at the Feb. 7 meeting. The project commenced Feb. 15 and staff determined that it did not have adequate in-house capacity to oversee that project along with its other current activity. Sam Senn, of Forsgren, who has been closely associated with the planning of the project will oversee completion of the pipeline construction, which is scheduled to be finished by May 15. Senn indicated, in follow-up to the approval of the consulting billing, that Mesquite General Contracting will stretch the 1,200 ft. length of unbent pipe beside the vehicle traffic lanes on Riverside Road before laying it in in the trans-river trench that is being prepared. This will cause some traffic slow-downs for three weeks starting March 1.

General Manager Kevin Brown updated the board on other district projects. He and Hydrologist Aaron Bunker indicated that recently drilled Well 27A on West Pioneer Boulevard has been tested and officially measures at 2,000 gallons per minute. Based on that information work can go forward to design the well house and sizing of the well pump and motor. Bids for that work are anticipated to open in April, with work completed in May. Questioned by Board members about the capability of the water treatment plant to handle increased flow, both men confirmed that the system is adequate at this time. Board President Nephi Julien directed Brown to factor additional capacity for treatment plant and pipes into the upcoming 2017 budget hearings.

Bunker commented on the progress of the well abandonment of Well 27, which failed in 2014. He indicated the contractor, Hydro Resources, has hit an obstruction 125 feet below the surface. The defunct well must be abandoned to its depth of 1,460 feet. Bunker said the contractor is working on the obstruction’s cause and a solution to the problem.

The next VVWD meeting is March 7, 5 p.m., with a formal public hearing on the proposed revisions to VVWD rules and regulations.