WHITEHALL WATER PROJECT: The Simple Facts, Week 4

MYTH: The Town of Whitehall has taken too long to address the matter.

Although this process has been long, dating back to 2014, here are some facts to consider:

1. After the Court Order by DEQ in 2017, a two-year study was conducted with engineering firms to find other well options surrounding the Town.

Public Works Manager Kory Klappan monitored and took samples, hoping to find a viable source for the Town of Whitehall. Interestingly, the only aquifer below Uranium DEQ standards was east of town, which runs down the Whitetail Creek by the Golden Sunlight mine. However, the volume was not adequate to supply the town. All other well possibilities had levels above DEQ standards, all outside of city limits on private land.

2. In 2018, the preliminary planning of the Water Treatment facility location was to be in the garage at Town Hall. However, as this option was considered, several factors made it unacceptable, all determined by DEQ. Engineering plans through Triple Tree had to be completely redesigned, and a new site was on the table.

A) The equipment used to filter water was too large for the town hall garage.

B) Chlorine use in the Town Hall building was determined to be an issue, as a separate facility was needed away from the offices.

3. Starting in 2021, the new proposed facility at the Rec Complex was submitted to DEQ, but DEQ did not 100% approve it until September 2023. During that period, grant and loan processes occurred.

As you can see, the process was out of the Town of Whitehall’s hands and fully depended on state offices.