Supervisors approve water plant contract, solar project idea

Natural resources of water, sun and wildlife came into focus during Thursday’s Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting including approval of a $22.8 million contract to revamp the Quill Water Treatment Plant off Kings Canyon Road.

Supervisors unanimously approved the contract with Farr Construction Corp., doing business as Resource Development Co., that will entail a new filtration system and structural improvements at the site. The project will increase the plant’s capacity to treat surface water from nearby creeks and the Marlette Lake system from 1 million gallons a day to 4 million gallons a day.

The project will include space for an additional filter vessel that, if installed, would increase the plant’s capacity to 6 million GPD.

“I started working for the city in 1983, and I was part-time in the ‘70s before that, and I think this is one of the most significant Public Works projects – if not the most — in terms of costs and impact to the city that we’ve ever done,” said Supervisor Stacey Giomi. “I know as this board, we’ve been pushing to get this done for a lot of reasons, just for the fact that we have 6 million gallons of water that we can’t use, and as you don’t use water, it tends to go to people who do use it. So, this is vital for our community.

“I applaud you guys getting to the point we are, and swallowing an almost $23 million price tag is a little scary, but is vital to this community, and I think it just has to be done.”

The project received federal funding in past years including $3 million in ARPA funds and $2 million in congressional appropriations. Supervisors approved Thursday an additional allocation of $500,000 in undesignated ARPA funds for the project, and according to the city, more than $6 million is available from undesignated Water Fund money and unspent water rehab and maintenance funds last fiscal year and the current fiscal year.

Public Works officials have maintained more potable water from surface-water sources well help conserve groundwater sources from municipal wells.

“Certainly a pivotal project for Carson City,” said Mayor Lori Bagwell, “important and beneficial to every single resident… There isn’t anything more important to me than clean water, right? I do worry about all the other things, too, but you have to have clean water.”

Carson City Utility Manager Andy Hummel described how the city maximized value and cut costs in the contract including reducing the number of filter trains from three to two. He explained that measure will comport with the state’s ongoing work on the Marlette system to replace an old dam. The city could add another filter train when that project is complete.

In the meantime, Hummel gave an estimated completion date for the Quill upgrade:

“We’re looking at late spring of 2026,” he said.

After approving the Quill contract, supervisors unanimously approved a potential solar project on city property that would come at no cost to the city.

Specifically, supervisors approved submission materials to nominate the employee parking lot at the Public Works complex off Butti Way as a solar-generating location for NV Energy.

The project would entail carports equipped with solar panels and be part of NV Energy’s Expanded Solar Access Program (ESAP), with project and maintenance costs covered by the power company’s Community Based Solar Resource program.

ESAP participants, by using solar from the projects, can see a reduction in their bills. The program is offered to low-income customers, disadvantaged businesses or nonprofits, and those who cannot install panels on their properties themselves.

Because of the Butti Way site’s proximity to the new Sierra Flats affordable housing project, Public Works maintained the project could help power that complex, though it would be available to ESAP participants in the area, according to City Engineer Darren Anderson.

“They can all apply to this program,” he told supervisors, estimating an approximately 10 percent discount on NV Energy bills.

More information is online: https://www.nvenergy.com/cleanenergy/solar/expanded-solar-access-program.

“I think that it’s super neat if we can do a project that benefits the city itself by having the covered parking, but that the fact that we could put that energy back into the grid, and then our residents can apply to that fund to get help,” said Bagwell.

Any agreement between the city and NV Energy would return to the board for approval.

Supervisors also heard a presentation on the city’s Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife’s Urban Wildlife Subcommittee.

“We live in an area that has wildlife,” said Zac Campbell, the conservation education supervisor for the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s western region. “We have to find a way to coexist with wildlife.”

Campbell teamed up with Rob Boehmer, member of the local advisory board, for the presentation. They shared call volume data from NDOW last year, showing black bears as the top animal causing concerns.

Wildlife calls taken in 2023 statewide totaled 4,043 including 2,503 in the western region. Approximately 582 calls were due to black bears, 444 to coyotes and 375 to songbirds (nesting in eaves, for example), with mule deer, hawk, goose, duck, owl, skunk/raccoon and mountain lion rounding out the top 10.

In Carson City, wildlife calls were 302 in 2022 and 340 last year, a roughly 13 percent increase.

Boehmer proposed a week or month in the future dedicated to local wildlife awareness. Bagwell and Supervisor Lisa Schuette discussed the importance of keeping wildlife safe and members of the public safe.

Campbell provided some wildlife tips: do not feed wild animals (do not try to ride them, either); take trash cans out in the morning, not overnight, and/or invest in bear-resistant trash cans; and eliminate attractants meaning don’t feed pets outside.

People can call NDOW dispatch at 775-688-1331 with wildlife concerns or visit ndow.org/learn-discover/wildlife-discovery/living-with-wildlife.