Water lift station to lead business growth

Green River may see a chance for future growth with help from water and the Wyoming Business Council.

Water has a lot to do with a grant the city of Green River is applying for from the Wyoming Business Council.

The grant would help build a new water lift station to replace the city’s now expired one.

The city plans to submit the grant by December, 2015, for a hopeful total of $1.5 million.

A water lift station is used to send water throughout different areas of a town’s sewer system. The water lift station administers pressure to send the water up or down in elevation; useful for hilly towns like Green River.

Water for the lift station comes from the Green River and Fontenelle Reservoir. The 50-year-old lift station has ended its useful lifespan.

“It’s still functioning,” Grants Administrator Misty Springer said. “But it’s old and it needs to be upgraded.”

Springer said there are also environmental regulations to contend with as well, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Wyoming’s Department of Environmental Quality. The water lift station is essentially an infrastructure component of the city. So why then, would the city pursue a grant through Wyoming Business Council?

“You can’t have any development without infrastructure,” Springer said.

Ultimately, the water lift station is connected to business. The water lift station would be able to transport water to areas of land previously lacking water, opening up new areas of land for development and businesses.

“You don’t have to have a car wash to use a lot of water,” Springer said. “We wouldn’t be able to support future growth without water.”

Springer said if the Wyoming Business Council can see how the dots are connected, they can see the city has big plans.

“It’s about being prepared for future growth,” she said.

A decision will be made by the Wyoming Business Council by March or April 2016, but the final decision will be made by Wyoming’s State Lands and Investment Board.

“They hold the purse strings,” Springer said.

When and if the grant is accepted and administered, plans for construction will commence in late 2016 or 2017.