Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

What's Happenin'

The time for people to sign up for the rural water project and receive the special discount is rapidly approaching a close. On October 15 the deadline will be reached and the cost will greatly increase for those who want to sign up for service. Since March of this year the county, city, Economic Development Office and chamber have urged citizens to sign up for rural water. As of August 31 the city has received commitments for 192 meters. This is far short of the 600 to 700 customers needed to complete the full project. The time to sign up is now! Abstract and title work on the easements is being completed. Preliminary engineering plans have been finished. After October 15 the engineering plans will be revised to remove the sections of the project with no meter deposits.

Here is a breakdown of the six areas and how they stand on getting a percentage of their households to sign up for the project.

Midway area, 33%; Pleasant Hill area, 25%; Boughton area, 24%; Redland area, 21%; Highway 24 East area, 20%; and Highway 67 South, area, 12%.

Remember that the area with the highest percentage of housing signing up by October 15 will receive their water earliest in the construction process.

If the project were redrawn today based on the meters that have signed up the following roads would most likely be cut out of the project:

County Road 18 from Highway 24 north;

County Road 20 from County Road 250 east;

Highway 24 west of the junction for two miles;

Lockland Road south of Highway 24 after = mile;

County Road 258 south of Highway 24;

County Road 222 between Highway 67 and Boughton;

County Road 35 between Highway 67 and Boughton;

County Road 25 north of County Road 20;

County Road 256;

County Road 51 west of County Road 48;

Highway 371 northeast of County Road 51;

County Road 257;

County Road 291;

County Road 48;

County Road 28;

County Road 42; and

Nubbin Hill Road south of County Road 22.

These roads have no meters or only one or two meters for several miles of pipe currently signed up. Just cutting these roads would not be enough savings to justify 200 to 300 customers. If we were to redesign the project today there would be additional roads where a few houses had signed up that might have to be cut out of the project.

The sad part about cutting any part of the project is the slim chance of ever getting funds to extend pipe in the future. Once we redesign the project and refuse some of the loan money given for it then it is unlikely we would qualify for another grant/loan in the future. If we let this chance pass us by it will be 20 to 25 years before parts of the area get a water system.

Why should this be important? Getting rural water to your property will do several things for you. It will increase the value of your property for residential or commercial use. Many small stores and diners are finding their permits revoked, because the well water they use is not safe. When tested for this project over half of the wells being used by residences and businesses in the county were unsafe. This impacts the health of a large number of citizens in the local area. Rural water also gives you a safe steady supply of water. You won't have to worry about wells losing pressure, pumps going out, well lines freezing because of electrical outage or any of those type concerns.

The time is drawing near for the northern part of the county to make a final decision on whether they really want rural water or not. The money for the project is "in the bank." Engineering plans are waiting the final redesign. Easement work is being completed. And after October 15, the project will be finalized based on the number of people who have signed up. If you want rural water you need to sign up soon at either Prescott City Hall or the Partnership office. The sign-up fee of $180 will rise to over $400 after October 15. If you have already signed up then you need to help convince your friends and neighbors to sign up as well. Let's make sure we don't let this opportunity pass Nevada County by. Sign up soon.