Commissioners agree to water protection plan

The Churchill County Commissioner implemented the county’s participation at their Thursday morning meeting in the Integrated Source Water Protection Program.

Kim Borgzinnner, with the Bureau of Water Pollution Control, said the program provides technical assistance for a team of local water purveyors and local government representatives to develop a county-wide wellhead protection plan for public drinking water sources. Resource Concepts Inc. is contracted through the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection to coordinate with local team, and prepare draft documents for the wellhead protection plan.

She said the Integrated Source Water Protection Program is a comprehensive, voluntary approach empowering communities to develop and implement a plan to protect their drinking water supplies.

Borgzinnner said a public water system is a system, regardless of ownership, that provides the public with water for human consumption through pipes or other constructed conveyances, if the system has 15 or more service connections or regularly serves 25 or more persons.

The program is provided through a NDEP grant funds from the federal government for source water protection activities throughout the state.

Borgzinnner said the NDEP eliminates the need for local community contract administration by contracting directly with a technical assistance provider to assist in every aspect of source water protection planning and implementation.

Jill Sutherland, representative for RCI said Churchill County has 28 public water systems. She said six are publicly owned systems with the two biggest being the city of Fallon and NAS Fallon. She said there are 22 privately owned systems.

Sutherland said the development process consist of form local planning team, gather water system information, map groundwater capture zones around wellheads, inventory facilities or activities near wells that might release pollutants and develop strategies and an action plan to protect drinking water quality.

She said the source water protection is a voluntary countrywide plan for protection public drinking water resources, supported with funding from the Bureau of Water Pollution Control and said it is less effort and money to protect groundwater than it is to clean it up.

The benefits of the programs gives public water systems throughout Churchill County an opportunity to participate in wellhead protection, Sutherland said. It also locally develops measures to help protect drinking water sources and facilitates county-wide collaboration on actions to implement the plan.

Other items approved by the commissioner include the following:

Approved to reappoint Stuart Richardson to the planning commission to fill a four-year term that expires on Oct. 31, 2018.

Approved to set public hearing for Bill 2014-F, Ordinance 32 for Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014.

Approved Resolution 23-2014 declaring assorted Armanko and Hasco library shelving formerly used by Churchill County Library as surplus property and granting shelving to Churchill Arts Council, Oasis Academy and Community Chest in Storey County.

Approved Demar Dahl’s request to exchange one sewer connection for one water connection and pay an additional $1,750 for the water connection.

Approved the memorandum of agreement for the Brownsfields Coalition Assessment between Northern Nevada Development Authority, Lyon County and Churchill County.

Approved the proposal from Mark Warren, to perform a summary appraisal report on property under the ownership of Frey Ranch, LLC; Storm’s Oasis Dairy, LLC; and Washburn for the purpose of assisting the county in evaluating the potential for a conservation easement.

Approved Resolution 22-2014 establishing a special revenue fund known as AB 65 Court Fee Fund for Churchill County.

Approved the Churchill County Board nomination policy as revised.