Expansions bring city water to rural areas

LeAnn Eckroth, Williston Herald

Published Friday, July 22, 2005 

Strong evidence of construction is surfacing on the Phase III Expansion Project of the Williams Rural Water District.

According to Melissa Pitman, office manager for Williams Rural Water, work on 190 extensions began May 10.

Northern Improvement of Bismarck will be completing the construction portion of the project, and American General Contractors of Valley City will be building pumps and a new reservoir.

"We'll be adding 190 new hookups. It includes everything west to Round Prairie and then it fans around town," she said. "There will be a lot of areas between U.S. 2 and 85. It will go to the 13-mile corner and north of Epping. It will be getting into Springbok and all the way to the Red Mike Golf Course.

"We have roughly 150 miles of pipe being installed."

The expansion will allow rural residents to use Williston city water.

Pitman explained there will be a distribution point that taps into a three-meter pumping house system.

"Everyone on the project pays a hookup fee. That was $1,800 before April 1. Now it is $2,500. Once the system is running, they will pay a $25 minimum fee and then pay for whatever water they use," Pitman said.

Completion date for the expansion is tentatively set for Nov. 30.

With an exception of about a dozen users, most of the 190 hookups are residential. "Population wise, there is about 700 people that will be using this," Pitman said.

"A majority have well water that is not reliable. They have to haul their drinking water," she said.

That can prove difficult for a maturing population and those with physical challenges.

"Some people hire others to haul their water "

Maintenance is another factor in switching from well water to the rural water system. "The faucets freeze by the time they get the water to the tanks. It gets to be a real battle. People want good water.

"Some are not washing at home because of the amount of rust. It (well water) wrecks the pipes. They have to replace the showers and faucets."

A Garrison Diversion grant will cover 70 percent of the construction costs of the $4 million project, and the balance will be paid through a North Dakota State Revolving Loan Fund.

"They're really flying," commented Pitman of the construction crews. "They're finishing roughly a mile of pipe a day."

Crews from Northern Improvement begin excavating for the Phase III Expansion Project for Williams Rural Water. The 190 extensions are scheduled for completion Nov. 30. LeAnn Eckroth | Williston Herald