Water 2000 Program Funds Critical Water Project
A federal program that provides funding for rural communities most in need of basic safe drinking water improvements recently helped fund a new well system serving a small community near Burlington, Wis.
In October 1998, Country Estates, a condominium association serving 206 mobile and manufactured homes just southwest of Burlington, was notified by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that its well had been condemned after monthly tests had turned up positive for coliform bacteria. According to DNR, there was a possible crack in the well casing.
"The bacteria is non-fecal, and could result from surface seepage into the well casing," said Crispell-Snyder Project Engineer Kelly Zylstra. Crispell-Snyder serves as civil engineer to Country Estates and specializes in serving suburban and rural communities. "At this point, they pressure tested the well, and determined that there was probably a leak in the casing."
A Need for Treatment
The well was too narrow for a traditional sleeve-and-grout repair job. In addition, regulations since the well was drilled had changed and the association was required to have two wells for the number of homes served.
A Need for Treatment
To complicate matters further, the wells would have to tap into the areas deep sandstone, which is prone to high levels of radium. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that drinking water contain no more than 5.0 picocuries per liter of radium (pCu/l). Tests of water from the existing well contained 6 pCu/l.
A Need for Treatment
Crispell-Snyder estimated the cost of two wells, each 1,500-feet deep and 16-inches wide - plus required water mains and a water treatment plant - at $1,925,000. Divided by the number of households in Country Estates, the system improvements would cost more than $9,344 per home.
Census Woes
With help from Kathryn Cartwright from Wisconsin Community Action Program (WISCAP), Crispell-Snyder investigated grant money potential on the basis of income and Country Estates eligibility for Safe Drinking Water monies from the DNR. Unfortunately, Country Estates was not eligible for grant money because of out-dated Census figures.
Census Woes
"According to the 1990 census, the median income of our residents was $32,813," said Association Manager Jeannie Walter. "But that was 10 years ago and a lot of our residents were still working. Now many of them are retired and living on Social Security."
Census Woes
Country Estates worked with WISCAP on a survey to reflect residents current economic status. The resulting survey showed that 112 of 141 respondents were considered income eligible for grants through the Clean Water Fund. The DNR, however, did not consider the survey reliable as, unlike respondents to the census, survey respondents were not threatened by legal action for providing misleading information.
USDA Program the Right Fit
On July 12, officials from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development presented Country Estates Sanitary District officials with a symbolic large check for $1,925,000.
USDA Program the Right Fit
"We are designating Country Estates a Water 2000 community," said Mark Brodziski of the USDA Rural Development office in Stevens Point, Wis.
USDA Program the Right Fit
Since its inception in 1994, Water 2000 has invested $2 billion to ensure safe drinking water in rural communities. Most of the funds come from the USDAs Rural Utility Service budget. Through this initiative, rural utilities serving 10,000 or fewer people can receive grants or loans to fund projects critical to ensuring a clean water supply.
USDA Program the Right Fit
In order to qualify for a grant of up to 45 percent of project cost, the median income in a community must be lower than $30,000 per year. Like other entities, the USDA was obliged to use income data from the 1990 survey in determining grant eligibility, but was able to provide loan money for Country Estates in time for the project to be completed within a timetable set by the DNR.
USDA Program the Right Fit
This year, Water 2000 will fund $211 million in projects, with an additional $84 million in project funds coming from other sources. What distinguishes the Country Estates loan from the typical Water 2000 project is the loan appliation turnaround time.
USDA Program the Right Fit
According to Brodziski, typical turnaround time for an application is one year, while Country Estates completed the process in four months. This process included not only processing of paperwork for the Water 2000 program, but publication of a Finding of No Significant Impact as required by the EPA - certifying that the environment would not be adversely affected by the project.
USDA Program the Right Fit
Country Estates and Crispell-Snyder had to "really hustle to make the deadline for this program," Brodziski said. "The attorneys, the Sanitary District, the engineers all did an exemplary job."
USDA Program the Right Fit
"We have to share a lot of the credit for that with Jeannie Walter from Country Estates," Zylstra said.
PSC Recognition
While the Country Estates Sanitary District has existed since the 1980s and owned the sanitary sewer and wastewater system, it has yet to be certified as a water utility by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC). The Sanitary District has purchased the water system from the homeowners association, and is in the process of purchasing the land the new water system will be built on. PSC approval of the new water utility status was expected in August.
PSC Recognition
"Each home in Country Estates will have a $4,000 special assessment, which pays for half of the construction cost. The remainder is built into the water rates set specifically for Country Estates by the PSC. The PSC goes through this process for every municipal water system in the state," Zylstra said.