A $7.5 million project to extend sewer service through Jamestown and into land west of Green River was pitched as a potential addition to the growing list of potential Sixth Penny Improvement Tax projects local governments are compiling for a vote during the 2020 elections.
The project would extend a wastewater collection line from Jamestown to a lift station near the Joint Powers Water Board treatment facility.
According to Kael Jasperson, vice chairman of the Jamestown-Rio Vista Water and Sewer District, the lift station would accommodate everything west of Green River. It currently operates at 10-15 percent capacity.
With the completion of the district’s 2018 water project that extended service beyond Jamestown, Jasperson said the other key component to fostering development in the area is improving wastewater collection.
Residences in Jamestown are serviced through septic tanks installed at the properties, with Jasperson saying the proposed Love’s Travel Stop would use a deep well injection system to deal with wastewater generated at the truck stop. Jasperson said tying the area to Green River’s wastewater system would open development potential for multi-family dwellings and impact more than the 1,500 people the district believes would benefit from wastewater and sewage collection.
Jasperson said the estimate provided to Sweetwater County commissioners Tuesday uses costs the district incurred for similar work needed to connect with the JPWB facility.
“We feel very comfortable with our estimate,” Jasperson said.
Interest in the tax has increased during the past year, with communities throughout the county initially amassing a list of more than $200 million in potential projects, which include road work, water line replacements, improvements to Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County, and others.
“We realize there are a lot of worthy projects coming to the table,” Jasperson said.
However, the need for wastewater collection is growing within the district because increased water service will lead to more wastewater created. He also said landowners in the district are becoming “restless” in their desire to develop their properties.
“We’re going to see an explosion of development in that area,” Jasperson said.
Sweetwater County Commissioner Wally Johnson agrees with Jasperson’s assessment, seeing the potential for development to be similar to the development of land north of Rock Springs. Jasperson said he has heard rumors of a second truck stop company being interested in land that was originally going to be developed into a Petro stop.
Jasperson said the district has the support of Green River’s mayor and city administrator for its proposal.
“It seems to me (Reed Clevenger, Green River city administrator) is supportive of the project,” Jasperson said.
The proposal will be discussed during a special Sixth Penny Tax meeting the Sweetwater County commissioners will host Thursday.
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