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Apple Valley secures $3.4M pipeline grant, USGS aquifer study and developer funding for million‑gallon tank
Summary
Mayor, Town of Apple Valley, said the town secured $3,400,000 in state funding for a pipeline to connect Cedar Point and Apple Valley proper and reported an additional $1,250,000 for contingencies; a developer has agreed to fund a new concrete million‑gallon tank and a 12‑inch pipeline extension.
Mayor, Town of Apple Valley, told residents the town secured $3,400,000 in state funding for a pipeline to connect Cedar Point and Apple Valley proper and said an additional $1,250,000 was obtained to cover potential overages.
He said one developer has agreed to pay for a new concrete million‑gallon tank and a 12‑inch pipeline extension to the west edge of town and to contribute to road and turn‑lane work. “They've agreed to pay for our concrete million gallon tank,” the mayor said, adding those contributions were central to DA negotiations.
The mayor said the town partnered with the Washington County Conservancy to take the lead on the pipeline project and that the Conservancy funded an aquifer study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which the mayor said cost about $60,000.
He reported improvements in state water system scores (IPS): the Apple Valley Proper system fell from about 50 points to 30 points due to aging tanks, and Cedar Point’s score improved from a higher level down to zero after fixes, though he noted radium and other contaminant testing can add points for systems. The mayor said those remaining points would be addressed once the million‑gallon tank and pipeline are in place.
Planned technical upgrades listed by the mayor include installation of a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system to centralize monitoring and controls for wells and tanks, emergency generators for wells and pump houses, cameras to monitor tank levels, and mapping and blueprinting of the town’s water lines. He said a new water operator, Dan Hart, has joined staff and that the Big Plains water district is now self‑sufficient and no longer requires monetary assistance from the town.
The mayor described efforts to avoid chlorination of spring systems through rerouting and system fixes but said exploration of additional spring sources may be necessary if aquifer studies show insufficient capacity for future development. He said the town will seek state and federal cooperation (including BLM permission) to evaluate and, if possible, secure rights for springs higher in the watershed.
He emphasized the town’s legal obligation to provide water to approved developments and said he is issuing will‑serve letters and water agreements only after doing due diligence.
The mayor closed by saying the pipeline contract work is on schedule and under the original $3.4 million budget so far and that the combined steps should eliminate the town’s water reliability problems once completed.
