Lyon County utilities engineer Kishore Panda briefed the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 16 about ongoing capital projects, condition-assessment studies and construction progress across the county's water and wastewater systems.

Panda reported four active engineering studies: an effluent-disposal study and sludge-dewatering evaluation in Silver Springs, and separate condition assessments for Lift Station 1 (near the Carson River) and the Industrial Lift Station north of Highway 50. He said the Silver Springs sludge-dewatering contractor option would cost in the "about a million dollar or above" range for dewatering both ponds; Panda described an alternative continuous dewatering method (geosynthetic dewatering or bagging) as more cost-effective long term but said it would require additional land that the plant currently lacks.

On capital projects, Panda said an EPA-funded Rosepeak water-main replacement is in design with a 30% design milestone expected by March; the project has an estimated $2.5 million in EPA funding consideration and a total footprint of roughly 6,800 linear feet of pipeline. He said the Highway 50/Dayton Valley Road sewer replacement (phase 2) is being re-bid after a prior lone bid exceeded estimates, with bids to open in November and construction anticipated in 2026.

Rolling A wastewater plant expansion is under construction; Panda said the overall program is about 8085% complete and that two biological reactors brought online recently showed performance problems during a five-day observation period. The contractor is working with the manufacturer to investigate and resolve the reactor issues; staff expects to stabilize operations within weeks if resolved.

Panda also said the county will pursue grant funding (capital improvement grant) for Silver Springs filter rehabilitation (estimated $972,000) and expects a state board decision in November.

Why it matters: The update identifies near-term capital needs, multi-million-dollar projects, and operational risks that could affect service reliability and rates. Commissioners asked about alternatives for sludge disposal and possible cost-sharing or hauling options to avoid a million-dollar capital expenditure.

The board did not take formal action beyond receiving the update; staff was directed to continue studies and pursue grants and procurement as described.