Focus on Waste

Yerington, Nev., starts water and sewer restoration project

A construction rep for Farr West engineering speaks on behalf of Q & D Construction. (Photo provided by Lyon County News Leader)

By DEBORAH C. GERBERS | The Municipal

In late 2020, the city of Yerington, Nev., and the USDA Rural Development hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction of a $41 million water and wastewater project. The much-needed improvement project replaces old water and sewer pipes to over 3,000 Yerington residences and nearly 70 homes on the Yerington Paiute Tribe colony. Twenty miles of new infrastructure will be part of the project, which just began construction in late June of this year.

Yerington’s water and sewer lines date back to the 1900s and have never been replaced, a cause for concern for city leaders. According to City Manager Robert Switzer, the city has about 2,200 metered water connections, with about 1,600 in the city limits, and about 1,400 sewer customers. The water and sewer project will replace 100,000 linear feet of water main and 82,000 feet of sewer main. It also includes 185 fire hydrants, relocating water and sewer mains from backyards and replacing more than 2,200 water and sewer connections.

The restoration project has been in the works for several years, and city leaders were eager to actually begin breaking ground and getting started. Switzer said planning for the project dates back to 2015.

“Then, we had a professional city engineer evaluation, which detailed the need to replace all water and sewer lines,” he said. “After that, there was a formal presentation on the project for the community of Yerington, and then we were ready to move ahead.”

Switzer said the city obtained funding through a combination of grants and funding through rural programs of the United States Department of Agriculture, which translate into a 40-year loan for the city. According sources at the Reno Gazette Journal, the USDA loan has a 1.4% interest rate for the project, with the rate and loan good for five years. For the $19 million water project, the city will pay just $1.8 million in interest, and for the $17 million sewer project, the city will pay just $1 million in interest. The partnership between the USDA and the city of Yerington is a good match, as there are several other major infrastructure projects Yerington Mayor John Garry speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony. (Photo provided by Lyon County News Leader)

Work gear is ready for use on Yerington, Nev.’s, 41 million water and wastewater project. Much of the city’s water and sewer lines date back to the 1900s, making their replacement vital for the city. (Photo provided by Lyon County News Leader)

possible for the city. Improvements resulting from the renovations will likely benefit residents in several ways and solidify Yerington’s infrastructure for the community as a whole.

According to Kelly K. Clark of the Rural Development sector of the USDA, federal and local dignitaries were present at a socially distant groundbreaking ceremony last fall, including Yerington Paiute Tribal Chairman Ginny Hatch; Mayor John Garry served as master of ceremony. As the project area lies in part on the Paiute tribal colony, improvements made to those areas were folded into the entire water and sewer restoration.

Switzer said most people “in the know” and with interest in city infrastructure improvements have responded positively to the restoration project. “Most people do understand the issues with aging infrastructure,” he said.

The city of Yerington contracted with Farr West Engineering of Reno, Nev., to provide design, construction management and inspection services. Q&D Construction Inc., a Sparks, Nev., firm, was awarded the construction contract. The project is currently underway, and Switzer anticipates it to be complete by May 2022.