Carson City utilities present Quill upgrades, Marlette-Hobart rehab and Bowers Lane storm drainage plan

Andy Helmholtz, utility manager in Carson City Public Works, gave a nonaction presentation on the city’s water, wastewater and stormwater systems, outlining supply, treatment capacity, reuse and capital projects.

Helmholtz told the committee that the water and wastewater enterprise funds each generate about $20 million annually and that the stormwater fund generates roughly $3 million. He said Carson City’s system includes about 350 miles of pipeline, 13 pump stations, 16 storage tanks, 21 active wells and a roughly 18,648-acre-foot portfolio of water rights with annual use near 10,000 acre-feet. He also noted effluent reuse of about 3,000 acre-feet a year used by three golf courses and the prison farm.

On the Quill Water Treatment Plant upgrade, Helmholtz said construction work is underway after a low bid just under $23 million; the upgraded plant will use package clarification and mixed-media filtration with UV disinfection and an initial capacity of 4 million gallons per day, with piping installed to allow a future expansion to 6 million gallons per day. He said the plant was taken offline in September for upgrades and that staff expects commissioning and start-up work next summer with full completion targeted for mid to fall of next year.

Helmholtz reviewed other capital work: the Wharf Water Resource Recovery Facility is receiving a master plan update; the Wharf dewatering building and screw pumps are under repair; tank rehabilitation is planned for the coming year; and a Wharf warehouse/vehicle project is in design pending funding. On the Marlette-Hobart system, he said the reservoir and intake upgrades are under rehabilitation and that full operations and releases could take months to years to return to previous levels — staff estimated the lake refill and full operations could take up to five to seven years in a low-water scenario but could recover faster after a large snow year.

Darren Schultz, public works director, described the Bowers Lane storm drain issue as a long-standing low-spot that ponds during storms and will require multi-year design, upsizing drainage under Highway 50 and bonding when the capital cost is scheduled in later years. Helmholtz said the project’s first fiscal-year work is primarily design and study; major construction is planned in later years with estimated bonding to finance the work.

Committee members asked about PFAS testing, water loss trends and meter replacement impacts. Helmholtz said the city follows UCMR testing requirements and will do expanded PFAS-related testing in 2026 and 2027; to date routine testing has not found PFAS in the drinking water. He said measured water loss averages about 7% citywide and that meter replacement efforts (the city sees roughly 300 failing radio meters a year) have not yet shown a direct correlation to reduced water loss.

Helmholtz said Carson City maintains interties with Minden and Lyon County, the Quill upgrades coordinate with Marlette rehabilitation, and that the city’s combined portfolio and reuse program help offset domestic demand.

The item was for discussion only; no committee action was required.