Richland County committee orders new inspection for Pine Valley water supply; schedules follow-up before major repairs

The Richland County Executive and Finance Committee voted July 8 to hire an inspection of the Pine Valley Community Village water reservoir and related infrastructure after hearing engineers and county staff describe aging mains, required disinfection steps for a city connection and gaps in the facility's inspection record.

Committee members approved a motion to have county utility staff schedule the inspection and return findings to the committee. The motion was made by Supervisor Cooley and seconded by Supervisor Carroll; committee members signified approval by voice vote.

Engineers presented five options for Pine Valley's water supply. Two options would connect the facility to the city system using either an 8-inch or 12-inch water main; others would repair or replace the site's existing reservoir and distribution equipment. The consultant said any option that connects to the city likely will require a disinfection system and a small building at the Pine Valley site to house heaters and chemical feed systems to meet state requirements.

"The biggest thing is that we'd have to have some type of disinfection system, and we have to add a building down at the Pine Valley Community Village, provide full protection, some extra piping, disinfection system, etcetera," the consulting engineer said. He also told the committee that Option 3'repairing the existing reservoir'is cheapest initially but likely would require replacement or a different option within 10 years.

Public-health and regulatory issues drove much of the discussion. County staff and a public-health representative said the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) and the Department of Health Services (DHS) require controls to limit Legionella and other risks when systems change or are rehabilitated. "DSPS and DHS require us to do extensive disinfecting of our waters because we can have a lot of different type of bacteria from there," a county staff member said, adding that Legionella infections can be fatal among elderly residents.

Committee members pressed for more information about prior inspections and earlier cleaning work. The consultant said the most recent full inspection on file was 2018; he noted a recorded cleaning in 2023 that the committee could not locate in the documents packet. He estimated a follow-up inspection fee in the range of about $2,800 to $3,300 if the work is a standard diver inspection, but cautioned that a full drain-and-inspect could raise costs into the tens of thousands because of the additional temporary systems and sampling that must be run during a drain.

Committee members said they did not have enough documentation in the packet to understand the reservoir's current condition and asked staff to obtain the 2023 cleaning/inspection materials and to schedule a new inspection if the report cannot be located. Supervisor Cooley moved to proceed with a new inspection; Supervisor Carroll seconded. The committee voted to authorize county staff (utility lead Chad) to schedule the inspection and return results to the committee.

The committee discussed ancillary technical points: the existing main from the reservoir to Pine Valley is original and about 4,300 feet long; a consultant estimated that the pipe is roughly 75 years old and could be sand-cast or ductile iron; the existing electrical system at the reservoir runs on batteries and would require an upgrade if the facility is significantly altered. The consultant said replacing the reservoir at a different elevation could trigger sprinkler-system verification and possible replacement during design.

Officials also discussed cost-recovery if the county extends a 12-inch main to Pine Valley and others later tap on to it. The county could assess new customers or implement deferred assessments that recoup portions of the extension cost over a 10-year recovery window, the consultant said. Committee members noted floodplain constraints that may limit new development and reduce potential tap-on revenue.

The committee asked staff to pursue the 2023 cleaning/inspection record and to schedule a new inspection if the written report cannot be produced. Staff estimated the next full statutory inspection would otherwise be required by 2028, assuming the county can validate the 2023 activity. The committee directed staff to return with inspection findings and cost estimates before approving any major capital work or a city-connection resolution.

The committee also heard that, regardless of the chosen option, the design phase must verify whether the existing sprinkler system and water pressures will meet DSPS and fire-flow requirements; if a 'significant upgrade' is done, the facility must be brought to current code standards.

Outlook: Staff will try to find the 2023 cleaning/inspection report. If it cannot be found, the county will proceed with a new inspection in the coming weeks; any major capital decision (replacement, connection to city mains, or reservoir relocation) will be deferred until the committee receives the inspection report and a design-phase estimate.