Wales will receive $602K grant to improve culinary water system

By Teri Forbes

Staff Writer

WALES—The town of Wales was notified that it will receive a $602,500 grant to improve its culinary water system at council meeting last week.

Justin Atkinson, engineer with Sunrise Engineering, reported to the town council last Tuesday Aug. 6 that its culinary water project had received an Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant (ECWAG) through the USDA Rural Development program.

The ECWAG program helps eligible communities prepare, or recover from an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water.

The grant application was submitted to the USDA earlier this year, and notification of the $602,500 grant award was received July 19.

Atkinson said the grants funds will be used to drill a replacement well because the existing well pulls in silt during peak use in summer. The work will also include development of additional springs near the existing lime kiln springs in Wales Canyon.  The well and springs currently provide culinary water for the community of Wales for both indoor and outdoor uses.

There will be 180 days from the time of award to complete the design and solicit bids from contractors.

The town council also reached out to Sunrise Engineering to assist them with preparing the bid documents for a new fire safety building at 40 E. 200 North.

Sunrise is in the process of preparing a cost proposal in response to the request and it will include a site survey and geotechnical report, Atkinson said.

In other action, the town council unanimously passed a new fire ordinance. Mayor Keith Jensen explained the ordinance established rules and regulations for the Fire Department as well as imposing fire restrictions within town limits from June 1 to Oct. 31. The mayor said issues covered in the ordinance were how to obtain a burn permit, fireworks restrictions, and exemptions from the ordinance rules.

The mayor went on to report that the community wildfire protection plan was nearly complete, and he explained why the town needed an emergency plan, which deals with big emergencies such as earthquakes and tornadoes, etc. The plan lists the major perceived risks to the town of Wales and, most important, it emergency support functions, specific instruction as to who and how to deal with particular disasters, the Mayor said.

A copy of the emergency plan will be located in the town office and in other strategic locations such as the Sheriff’s Office and it will be updated yearly.