Voters in the Consolidated Public Water Supply District No. 1 of Clark County, Missouri are being asked to approve borrowing up to $15 million dollars to funds for repairs, upgrades and improvements to the District’s waterworks system. With almost 2000 miles of water mains int the ground, the District serves 3127 customers, or around 10,000 people, from as far south as the Lewis- Marion County line south of LaGrange, to the Iowa border to the north, and as far west as touching Knox and Scotland Counties.
“We have a lot of projects going on,” said Dan Dover, District Manager. “Back in 2019 we passed a bond issue for $4.5 million, and we have already depleted that.”
“As you know, prices have gone through the roof, and another four or five million dollar bond wouldn’t get us very far. So we’re looking to the future. That doesn’t mean we’re going to spend the $15 million dollars immediate, but we’ll have the capacity in place in case we need it,” added Dover.
Current plans include replacing the standpipe at Luray with a 150,000 gallon elevated tower, which will improve pressure and water storage. By doing that, the standpipe at Wyaconda will also be able to removed.
In addition, system improvements have been made all the way to the elevated tank at Luray.
“Originally, the project was supposed to be $1.3 million, but prices have gone up so much that it 2.3 million now. And that’s for a relatively small project,”
“We also have another project for replacing a lot of our old booster stations,” said Dover.
A booster station takes the incoming water pressure and boosts it to better serve an area.
“We are replacing the Canton Booster Station and the Revere booster station, and we’re providing backup generators at those locations as well,” Dover continued. “In the event of an ice storm or power outage for an extended period, we can continue to supply water to our customers.”
“We are also expanding our treatment plant on Route C. We’re adding additional filters. The district is growing,” Dover said, noting that they had installed 14 new meters in a two week period recently.
Backup generators will also be installed at the treatment facility.
Dover also noted that their filters will remove almost all of the manganese from the water. While manganese is naturally occurring and an humans need small amounts to be healthy, too much manganese can cause health effects.
Other projects the district wants to undertake include upgrading their connections with Kahoka and Canton, and providing backup service to LaGrange.
In addition to the bond issue, the district is seeking funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the State Revolving Funds, and the Building Resilient Infrastructure In Communities Grant administered by FEMA.
Dover also reported that the Clark County Commissioners had recently approved spending $393,500 in ARPA funds to help the district provide service to 22 families that were using sand point wells.
Additional ARPA funds will allow for underground wastewater irrigation for Revere, where the District manages both the water and wastewater systems.
In the August 2 Primary Election, voters in the Water District’s service area will see the following question on the ballot:
Shall Consolidated Public Water Supply District No. 1 of Clark County, Missouri, issue its waterworks revenue bonds in a principal amount of up to $15,000,000 for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, reconstructing, repairing, furnishing and equipping improvements to the District’s waterworks system, including acquiring real estate and easements necessary therefor, the cost of operation and maintenance of said system and the principal and interest on said revenue bonds to be payable solely from the revenues derived by the District from the operation of its waterworks system, including all future extension and improvements thereto:
“Our customers are our number one priority, We want to provide them with the best quality water when they need it, every time they need it,” Dover said.