Twin Falls City Council Approves New Water Systems Facilities Plan

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX) – Water was the main topic at the Twin Falls City Council meeting Monday night.

The council unanimously approved an updated Water Systems Facilities Plan. It is good practice to update the plan every five to 10 years, said Public Works Manager Jon Caton. The last time a plan was adopted was in 2009.

The updated plan includes budget guidelines and proposals to better meet the city’s water supply for the next 20 years while at the same time addressing more immediate concerns such as maintaining the city’s water tanks, some which are more than 60 years old.

The city’s Harrison tank supplies water for most of Twin Falls, for instance, but it was built in the 1960s and has some challenges such as a domed top that sometimes moves.

Proposals in the newly adopted plan include building a new 10 million-gallon tank; another to replace residential water meters, some which are at least 20 years old. A new tank could cost $7 million or more, Caton said; water meters about $180 each.

The presentation by Canton and J-U-B Engineers drew multiple questions from council members. A concern was water supply versus future demand.

A couple of things that have helped have been pressure irrigation and conservation practices, but the city still needs to go a long way to meet demands against a growing population. Water-meter testing, water loss and mitigation, adjusting water rates and encouraging more consumer conservation are all topics that need to be addressed, Caton said, noting the challenge of addressing water issues, however, is much like water itself – it is fluid.

“It’s a moving target. … There are more areas of concern than there is money,” he said. “The good news is we’re doing some of it.”

One question that Greg Lanting asked was that if by approving the updated plan the city would be locked into the budget mentioned in it. The council was informed that it is not.

Councilman Chris Talkington said he’s for supporting more water conservation practices, including looking at zero-scape possibilities.

“We have to look at this in a multi-pronged approach,” said Councilman Don Hall. “We need to have movement in that direction.”

During the meeting the council also approved a $4.4 million contract to RSCI for the Twin Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant Headworks Improvement Project.