Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water System topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Star Valley Ranch council discusses water-system outages and possible chlorine-pump replacements
Summary
Council members heard that a SCADA firmware update caused recent water-system interruptions, that the SCADA system has been restored to automatic mode, and that preliminary testing suggests the town may need to replace all four chlorine pumps at an estimated $20,000; the council agreed to budget for replacements pending confirmatory lab results.
Town Administrator Aitken told the Star Valley Ranch Town Council on May 26 that the town’s water system suffered intermittent failures over the previous three weeks after a SCADA firmware update introduced faults. Staff maintained manual control through weekend operations, and as of the meeting Aitken said the SCADA system was restored to automatic mode.
The council was briefed on ongoing water-quality testing. Administrator Aitken said Mountain West Water Works raised concerns that the current chlorine formulation may not match the mineral content of the town’s supply; staff commissioned a full chemical analysis of all sources and initiated a Most Probable Number (MPN) test to identify whether a chlorine-resistant coliform is present. Aitken said the chemical analysis results should arrive in about ten business days and that the MPN test requires roughly 30 days.
Based on preliminary findings, Administrator Aitken told the council that it was “highly probable” that all four chlorine pumps would need higher-capacity units matched to a different chlorine formulation. The town estimated replacement pumps at about $4,800 each, or roughly $20,000 total, and Aitken recommended adding $15,000–$20,000 to the current budget to cover the likely expense.
Public Works Director Zack Edwards said staff had also begun targeted testing to identify the specific coliform strain and emphasized that definitive steps depended on the laboratory results. Councilman Toolson expressed concern that residents would question why chlorine had been added if the formulation was not properly matched to the water chemistry; Councilman Ellis and Administrator Aitken explained that the original chlorine system dates to about 2010–2012 and that no chemical analysis had been performed at that time.
After discussion about timing and administrative burden, the council agreed it was preferable to include the estimated $20,000 for pump replacements in the current budget — to be funded by reducing the Green Canyon pump-and-motor capital line item — rather than process a later amendment. The council emphasized that any final expenditure would be contingent on receiving the pending test results.
The town also scheduled a water-system field trip for council members on June 3 to tour the spring, the Prater tanks and delivery line; Town Engineer Ryan Welling has inspected a small Prater tank now scheduled for replacement in 2035 and may recommend moving that replacement up depending on condition assessments.
The council kept next steps narrowly procedural: await the full chemical and MPN test results, then proceed with procurement only if laboratory findings show the current pumps and chlorine formulation are inadequate.
