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Council hears utility report after rockfall near Afton spring; officials say water supply unaffected
Summary
The utility director told the Afton Town Council that a large rock slab detached above the town's intermittent spring but post-inspection tests and coordination with state and federal agencies found no contamination and no impact to drinking-water service.
The Afton Town Council heard an extended report July 9 from Utility Director Josh about a rockfall above the town's intermittent spring and the steps the utility took to assess and protect the water supply.
Josh told the council a large slab of rock detached roughly 100—150 yards above the spring and that debris temporarily covered the spring overflow. Equipment was staged near the site but not used at the water source; the town waited for guidance and information from the Army Corps and Forest Service before taking action. "We did not have a full report or full authorization from the Army Corps" the director said, adding that after on-site inspection the spring returned to continuous flow and there was "absolutely no need for a track or any equipment" at the source.
Josh said crews inspected valves, overflow seals and the gate system, removed some debris by hand, and monitored daily. He reported there were no contaminants found and that the spring continued to collect and feed the system. "Water was not restricted in any way. No contaminants were ever in our source," Josh said.
The utility director also shared flow numbers and monitoring observations. He said the spring was delivering roughly 4,000 gallons per minute into the town's million-gallon tank during periods of excess overflow into Swift Creek, and that recent hot weather pushed municipal consumption above 3,000 gallons per minute. Josh said the town has recently added telemetry that allows the utility to track gallons-per-minute more precisely and build planning data.
Council members asked about public-safety and regulatory notification. The chair said Wyoming DEQ, EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had been notified and that none reported a current public-health concern. The town will continue daily monitoring and said crews may need to move additional rocks by hand if the spring returns to intermittent flow at a later season.
The council did not take immediate policy action; Josh asked for latitude to continue monitoring and to return with equipment and budget figures if longer-term access or work is required.
