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Fernley utilities lay out multi‑year water and wastewater needs, including $37M surface‑water intake plan
Summary
Utilities Director Sung Kim presented a tentative five‑year water and wastewater CIP that includes rehabilitation projects, a push to convert 3,000 analog water meters to digital and a long‑range surface‑water intake design estimated for $37 million construction; wastewater phase‑1 construction was estimated at $17 million.
Utilities Director Sung Kim presented the tentative five‑year capital improvement plan for water and wastewater (FY27–FY31), emphasizing rehabilitation of aged infrastructure and steps to qualify for grant funding. The water list included roadway/utility reconstruction to replace water and sewer lines concurrently, extension of dead‑end mains on US‑50 to improve circulation, replacement of chemical feed and compressed‑air systems at the water treatment plant, refurbishment of a 1.5‑million‑gallon treated‑water reservoir and a plan to convert about 3,000 analog meters to a digital system.
"This is replacement of water line and sewer line as well... this can save us time, money, efforts for doing this at simultaneously," Sung Kim said, describing coordinated road and utility work.
Kim outlined a longer‑range surface‑water intake design milestone (design targeted for March 2027) and said construction could reach roughly $37,000,000, for which the city would pursue grants and state revolving funds. On wastewater, staff presented a plan to move from lagoon systems toward a sequencing batch reactor design: Kim estimated design costs around $3,000,000 and phase‑1 construction around $17,000,000, with modular expansion as growth requires.
Councilmembers pressed staff for clearer prioritization. Councilman Torres said council received few of these details in prior priority meetings and asked for a ranked list of critical versus lower‑priority items; staff agreed to present a prioritized catalog and clearer explanations before the final budget. Wastewater foreman Nate McIntyre and other staff emphasized that many items are time‑sensitive because equipment and structures have reached or exceeded life‑expectancy.
Kim warned some projects would require substantial outside funding and that the council could delay some work if necessary, but also said postponing certain rehabilitation risks failures and compliance issues. Staff committed to producing a prioritized list of critical needs, wants and scheduling so council and the public can better assess tradeoffs before the final budget vote.
