WHITEHALL WATER PROJECT: The Who, What, Where, When, Why & How

The following information was presented at the Public Hearing regarding the Whitehall Water Project and its rate increases earlier this month.

THE WHO: Ultimately, the Town of Whitehall did not choose to create a water treatment plant for the town.

On January 31, 2017, the Town of Whitehall received a court order to fix the uranium “issue” reported by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) of the State of Montana.

Our Court Order states, “Violations of the public water supply laws by the Town of Whitehall at the Town of Whitehall public water supply, PWSID MT 0000359, Whitehall, Jefferson County, Montana (FID 2488).

DEQ allowed the Town of Whitehall to apply for grants and raise funds to offset the costs of the required project.

THE WHAT:

• Many people asked, “What caused the increase in uranium.” Our water supply did not suddenly get an increase in the quantity of uranium in the water. There has always been uranium in our water.

On December 16th, 2014, DEQ notified the Town of Whitehall that we would be placed on quarterly uranium monitoring because our system ran an annual average greater than the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) allowed for a public water system.

During the monitoring periods of the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2015 and the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2016, the water system exceeded the MCL levels.

DEQ sent letters during these monitoring periods advising Whitehall MT that we were required to continue monitoring the system for uranium and implement corrective action to reduce the uranium levels. (#12. Court Order)

THE WHERE:

The Town of Whitehall pulls the public water from 2 groundwater wells located within the town.

Both Well #1 and Well #2 have repeatedly been over the maximum level of uranium allowed for a public water system.

The water storage tank located just north of town needed to be repaired to sustain the implementation of a treatment plant and the longevity of the town’s water supply.

Estimates breakdown:

2018: $2,905,887.00 (Retrofitting PW Shop to hold the treatment system, which was ultimately turned down by DEQ)

2019: $4,464,879 (Adjustments to bring current project to address plan changes and inflation)

2022: $6,269,880.00 (Adjustments to bring current project to address material/ equipment due to inflation/pandemic/etc.)

2024: $8,662,771.38 (BID AMOUNT) Costs outlined in Hard Rock’s bid to construct the water treatment project.

The Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) documents the study, conclusions, and recommendations for the Town’s water system facilities. The PER identifies the planning area, evaluates the existing condition and operation of the existing facility, identifies existing problems within the system, and establishes and prioritizes recommended courses of action and funding strategies for water improvements. The study evaluates the town's needs and the requirements to meet State and Federal regulations for a 20-year planning period.

The PER was first completed in April 2018, with updates in December 2018, December 2019, and August 2022. (see PER alternative options chart)

The recommended preferred alternative from the 2018 PER and 2018 PER Update was Alternative 4D – IX Treatment Plant at New Town Hall Using Existing Wells. The recommended preferred additional alternative from the 2019 Update was Alternative 5- Recoat Tank, Replace AC Main, and Provide Distribution System Loop Through Alley.

The additional alternatives developed in this PER Update reflect issues identified during the design phase for previously selected alternatives.

- Groundwater source- Worked with Hydrologist Fess Foster on a sampling plan. We hit every aquifer in the valley, with 34 water samples taken. None of them came back with low enough uranium.

During the design phase of implementing Alternative 4D, it became apparent that the Town Hall building does not have the room to house an IX Treatment Plant. Additionally, the condition of the existing tank has deteriorated significantly, rendering Alternative 5 infeasible.

THE WHEN:

• December 2014 - DEQ notified the Town of Whitehall that we must be placed on quarterly monitoring for uranium levels

• Aug., Sept., Dec. 2015, and March and May 2016 - DEQ notified in writing that the Town’s water system exceeded uranium levels

January 2017 - DEQ issued a State Administrative Court Order to remedy the water situation

March 2017 - An initial engineering firm was hired to perform a PER for the water system remedy. (This firm did not continue the project)

January 2018 - Triple Tree Engineering was selected to perform the PER for the water system remedy

June 2018 - the first PER findings were reported to the town

December 2018 - An alternative plan for using the New Town Hall was explored

December 2019 - Plans for the Retrofitting of the New Town Hall space were sent to DEQ for project approval

2020 - DEQ submittals and design improvements took place. Found that the retrofitting location had an insufficient footprint for the equipment (Design turned down by DEQ)

2021 - DEQ submittals and Redesign/PER analysis of new water treatment plant at Rec location

August 2022 - the final PER update determined the need for building a new water treatment plant and 60% soft DEQ submittal

December 2022 - 90% DEQ submittal

April 2023 -100% full DEQ submittal

September 2023- DEQ Approval

October 2023- First advertisement for bid

December 2023 - Open bids window for Water Treatment Plant

January 2024 - Secured additional $2m grant and $2m loan for project inflation

February 2024 - Closed Bid window

March 2024 - Awarded Hard Rock Road & Utilities for the bid of the Whitehall Water Treatment Plant

June 2024 - Estimated breakground month for the Whitehall Water Treatment Plant

THE WHY:

To recap, the water treatment plant was selected based on previous analysis and changes based on real-world findings from the early design stages. The Covid pandemic put the project on hold as the world tried to figure everything out.

During the various analyses of the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) the proposed solution must meet all of the following criteria:

• Public Health and Safety – Will the additional alternative protect and enhance the health and safety of the Town’s residents?

• Public Acceptance—Will the additional alternative meet the residents' needs, and will the residents be receptive to it?

• Local Economic Affect – What effect does the additional alternative have in keeping money in the local economy through local capital purchase, construction spending, and employment of local citizens?

• Environmental Impacts – What effect does the additional alternative have in terms of adverse impact on the environment?

• Impacts to Existing Facilities – Will the additional alternative impact existing Town of Whitehall facilities or the property and facilities of the residents?

• Reliability—Will the additional alternative be reliable now and in the long term with respect to future potential requirements?

• Operational Ease - Will the additional alternative be easy to operate and maintain with the existing facility?

THE HOW:

Grants: A government grant is a financial award from a federal, state, or local government authority for a beneficial project. It does not need to be paid back.

Loans: Government loans are funded directly by the government or made by private lenders and backed by the government. They have different benefits, interest rates, and repayment options. In order to be given a loan, we may need to prove that we have a specific number in reserves. Loans must be paid back within the terms.