Dayton treatment-plant expansion progressing right on schedule

Phase III of the Rolling A Ranch Wastewater Treatment Facility's expansion is coming along nicely, and soon will be capable of treating a million gallons of wastewater per day, say Lyon County officials.

But according to Mike Workman, Lyon County Utilities director, it will probably only handle about 300,000 gallons when completed in March 2007.

"We built quite a capacity for quite a few years of growth," he said, adding that currently 250,000 gallons of wastewater is treated daily.

Rolling A, located off of Fort Churchill Road at 499 River Road in Dayton, will produce Class B effluent that Workman said will be used to for rapid infiltration basins, aquifer recharge and landscape irrigation.

"Right now the way the plant works, effluent is put into rapid infiltration basins that we're constructing, then to a pipeline between Rolling A and the South Dayton Treatment Plant off of Lakes Boulevard," he said.

Workman added that in the future the effluent could be sold to private companies for landscaping, but that because it was not the highest grade, it would need to have controlled access.

"We're still developing our effluent management plan and permits," he said. "So we're still working with NDEP (Nevada Department of Environmental Protection) on what the highest and best use of our effluent will be."

The original contract was awarded to K.G. Walters Construction for $14.93 million but change orders and adjustments in the project has put the new contract amount at $14.96 million.

The $31,475 increase in cost is the result of unforeseen change orders.

"Things we realized we needed after the project began," said chief engineer Donette Barreto. "We expect to see changes in a project."

For example, Barreto said higher fencing around the construction area was needed on the project, which is 23 percent complete.

Workman said the plant expansion was proceeding on schedule.

"We're right on schedule and right on budget," he said.

"We're in the first 25 percent of the project, so there's going to be some adds and some take-aways.

"Once we get into the spring and summer periods, we'll have a much better idea with the budget, but right now we couldn't be happier."

-- Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at

@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.