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MAP assists rural communities in the following states: Iowa Kansas Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska North Dakota South Dakota Wyoming See Contact Us page for corporate and field office contact information. |
Wyoming The following case study is an example of the technical assistance MAP provides to small communities at no cost. To benefit from MAP's assistance, simply call the Rural Development Specialist nearest you. Nine Mile Water & Sewer District The Nine Mile community is in an unincorporated area located west of the City of Laramie in Albany County, Wyoming. The area has gradually expanded over the past 30 to 40 years. Individual properties sold on a piecemeal basis with no central water or sewer system provided. A shallow, unconfined aquifer is the primary source of groundwater in the area. Wells that had been developed were generally shallow (10 to 60 feet deep), unprotected, and probably influenced by surface runoff. Production from these wells was unsuitable for potable usage due to high total dissolved solids (TDS) and/or sulfates. Many residents hauled their drinking water from the City of Laramie because of the unavailability of good quality water locally. This involved a minimum 18-mile round trip several times each week, depending on individual usage and the size of on-site storage facilities. Not all residents had the capability of hauling their own water and so contracted that service with those that had the necessary equipment. In 1997, members of the community formed a steering committee to begin to address these problems. The committee began to look into forming a special district, which would enable the community to apply for state and/or federal funding to construct a central water system. Local staff requested the Midwest Assistance Program (MAP) become involved by discussing special district formation procedures at a community meeting. Then MAP staff continued to provide guidance and direction to the steering committee as it prepared the necessary petition for formation. The committee presented the petition to the Albany County Board of Commissioners in mid-1998 and the creation of the Nine Mile Water and Sewer District was official a short time later. The Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC) provides funding in the form of grants and loans to communities throughout the state for development of new water systems and for improvements of existing water systems. Early on in the formation process for the Nine Mile Water and Sewer District, the steering committee submitted an application to WWDC for funding for a Level 1 feasibility study to aid them in planning for the much-needed central water system. The WWDC approved the funding and the community had a complete study by the summer of 1998. The new board followed the lead of the steering committee and applied to WWDC for additional funding for a Level 2 study. The WWDC again approved the funding and conducted the study during the summer of 1999. This study recommended that the District move on to Level 3, or the construction phase. At this time, it became obvious that additional funding would be required and the board sought that funding from the USDA Rural Development, Rural Utilities Service (RUS). RUS approved and accepted the board’s application and the project is currently in the design stage. MAP staff involvement continued throughout this application process. Staff then completed the required environmental report on behalf of the board. |
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