Kingston Water System Improvement Project
BACKGROUND
 The unincorporated Town of Kingston is located in Lander County, approximately 200 miles east of Reno and 28 miles south of Austin on Highway 376.
Between 1968 and 1972, the existing water system was installed by the developer of the town site, Recreation Unlimited, Inc. In 1976, the Town of Kingston accepted the water system from Recreation Unlimited, Inc., which at the time included 1 pumping well, a storage tank, and a distribution system. The initial distribution system was constructed of 4-inch irrigation pipe, which still remains in certain segments of the existing system.
A new pumping well was drilled and developed in 1990 adjacent to and immediately east of the original supply well, and in 1993, a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) was used to replace 2,400 feet of 4-inch irrigation pipe with 8-inch distribution pipe. Another 12,000 feet of 4-inch pipeline was replaced with 8-inch pipe in 1995 using an AB 198 grant in the amount of $300,000 ($2,542 per connection). Concurrently, in 1995, the Town began installing water meters and completed the installation in 1999.
In 2002, the Town of Kingston initiated a water improvement project funded by grants from AB 198 and CDBG in the amounts of $879,695.00 and $132,000.00, respectively. Under this project, 2 new pumps, a new 250,000-gallon storage tank and approximately 15,000 feet of new distribution pipe were procured and installed. In addition, 2 pressure reducing valves and meter vaults were put into service and 20 new fire hydrants were installed. Construction was complete by fall 2002.
A third AB 198 grant, in the amount of $23,205, was given to the Town of Kingston water system for a preliminary engineering report. This report was required as part of an application to the USDA for a loan and/or grant to match a grant from the Board for Financing Water Projects (current grant application). No significant new findings were made as a result of this PER.
The 2 wells that serve Kingston draw effectively from the same aquifer. Kingston recently completed 4 quarters of arsenic monitoring with results from both wells at 4 - 5 parts per billion (ppb). The MCL for arsenic in groundwater is currently 10 ppb. It appears that no treatment will be required for arsenic.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Sections of the water system in Kingston still consist of the original irrigation piping. The system experiences significant water losses and down time for repairs. The grant application provided a 3-year summary of water production, use, and losses. Based on the average monthly pumping rate of 3,036,776 gallons, the losses in the system are estimated to be 60.13%. The summary shows an average water usage rate of 1,210,647 gallons/month, equating to an individual water usage rate per connection of approximately 9,763 gallons/month or a metered rate of 325 gallons/day, a conservative usage rate.
The project presented in the grant application would help bring the public water system into compliance with the regulations for Public Water Systems and the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Due to the continued water loss that appears to be occurring, the replacement of substandard distribution line is required to ensure a safe and reliable supply of water to the Kingston water users, which is required by NAC 445A.66655 2 (a). In addition, the replacements are required to meet the pipe material requirements of NAC 445A.67125.
In May 2006, the Board approved a 2-year water system improvement grant to the Town of Kingston in the amount of $2,726,309.70 (69.9% of the eligible project cost of $3,900,300).
PROJECT STATUS
The project was bid and awarded to Pacific Rim. Construction started in late June 2007. The pipeline replacement was completed by December 2007. Problems with the coupling of the new section of HPDE service line to the existing PVC service line on 72 services resulted in a number of water leaks. A replacement of the old PVC section of the service lines is scheduled for the spring of 2008.
To view the progress on the project to date, click here.
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