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Hays staff outline R9 well field and 70-mile pipeline plan; easement work nearly complete and federal loan option in play
Summary
City staff updated the commission on design completion for seven wells, a 500,000-gallon tank and a 70-mile, 24-inch raw-water transmission line; easements recorded for 115 of 130 tracts and staff are preparing a WIFIA loan application while awaiting an S&P preliminary rating and a Supreme Court ruling tied to water-transfer approval.
City staff told the Hays City Commission on Jan. 22 that design work for the R9 well field and the 70-mile raw-water transmission line is essentially complete and that easement acquisition is far along.
"The design of the well field, which includes seven wells and well houses, [a] 500,000-gallon storage tank, a pump station and elevated storage, has been mostly complete since December 2024," said John Brown, who presented the project update. On the transmission line, Brown said plans and specifications were submitted to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for permit review and the line is sized for a 24-inch pipe.
Brown said offers to property owners went out in March 2025 and staff have recorded easements and paid compensation for 115 of the 130 tracts along the proposed route; 15 tracts remain (4 in Edwards County, 5 in Pawnee County and 6 in Rush County). Brown described continued outreach and said staff expected many remaining property owners to accept voluntary easement offers, with condemnation as a last resort.
On financing, Brown said the best viable source is an EPA WIFIA low-interest loan. The city submitted a letter of interest in March 2025 and the loan application is nearly ready; staff are awaiting a preliminary S&P credit rating before final submission. The clerk also reported that Senator Moran’s congressional spending request included roughly $11 million for Hays (and $1 million for Russell) to help offset project costs.
Staff warned the project’s schedule remains contingent on administrative approvals. An assistant city manager reported a Dec. 15 Supreme Court oral argument in a legal challenge related to conversion of water rights; the transfer panel is holding a final hearing pending the court’s ruling. If the Water Transfer Act approval arrives midyear (staff used July 1 as an illustrative date), Brown outlined a timeline of up to six months to finalize bid documents, with contracts potentially awarded in early 2027 and construction beginning that spring, followed by roughly two years of construction.
Commissioners asked about pipe materials (PVC versus HDPE) and life expectancy; Brown said both options meet longevity expectations and the choice will be driven by market prices and construction costs. The commission did not take formal action on the project at the meeting.
