By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Water is the building block of life. And of economic development according to Russell Rural Water District 3 Manager Jamie Tomlinson. On the job for two years, Tomlinson is now overseeing a $7.2 million overhaul that will affect customers in four counties. A secondary project will eliminate Barton County Rural Water District 1 as it is absorbed into the Russell district.
The Russell water district originated in the city of Russell in 1973 and has since moved to Susank. The district serves more than 2,000 customers in southern Russell, northern Barton, eastern Rush counties, and one customer in Ellis County. The big project will set new line beside current lines that are crumbling.
"The plastic that was used in the 70s and 80s was much thinner then," Tomlinson said. "Because of the terrain and how it was laid in the ground, the movement of the ground and rocks, it's tearing the pipes up. We primary have 275 miles of rural water lines. Our infrastructure is going to take and redo approximately 115 miles of that."
Water conservation is important locally and nationally, and tests showed the Russell district was losing nearly half of its water before it reached customers. The federal government stepped in with a way to solve the problem.
"Three to four years prior to me becoming manager, they started a study on actually how much water loss the system was getting," said Tomlinson. "It varied between 35 and 45 percent of the water we purchase from the city of Otis was being lost in the system before it gets to the customers. That was enough to where the rural development of USDA was able to assign us a loan for $5 million for a 40-year payoff. We have a $2.2 million grant attached to that."
The overhaul includes new lines in the ground, a larger water tower north of Galatia, and a larger standpipe installed in Beaver. The new system will not affect water quality to customers, but will improve pressure.
"A lot of the times right now, if we have a leak in the system and have to turn off a certain portion, the pressure will drop in another area of the system," Tomlinson said. "We'll be able to repair lines without any loss of pressure to anybody else within the system."
At last Wednesday's Barton County Commission meeting, Tomlinson and Barton County Rural Water District 3 Treasurer Mary Anne Stoskopf asked the county for $130,000 to assist with the replacement of eight miles of lines connecting the Russell and Barton County districts. The commission agreed to contribute $65,000. Tomlinson said providing reliable water to rural areas is a must for establishing residences and businesses in those areas and building that tax base.
Tomlinson said the plan is still awaiting approval from the state engineer's office. Once started, it will take approximately a year to replace the dilapidated lines. The revamped district will purchase water from the city of Otis and Hoisington as a secondary source, which will eliminate the radium problem in Bunker Hill.