Plains water system gets full upgrade

PLAINS – The town of Plains is hard at work updating water mains and the water system, adding links between pipes so the water is able to circle through town.

Mayor Michael Brinson explained before this project started, shutting off a line would shut off everyone’s water east of town.

“We’re adding valves so if we have a water leak in a certain spot, we can only maybe turn off a block instead of maybe four blocks,” said Mayor Brinson.

The project started off at McGowan Grocery and Hubbard Street, with Garber and Clayton on Ryan Street next in line. After that, a connection will be made from Rittenour Street, down Highway 200 and over to Central.

A railroad connection will also be made behind the Brinson’s True Value, with a pipe stretching from Lynch Street up close to Heather’s Country Kitchen.

“That will tie the (water) main that’s on the east side of the tracks and the main that’s on the west side of the tracks,” explained Brinson. “It’ll continue to make a full flow circle.”

The project will cost the town $616,000 - $316,000 borrowed from a State Revolving Fund at a three percent interest rate and the other $300,000 from taxpayer’s dollars.

If the full $316,000 is not used from the fund, the town can give back the excess money to the loaning group, reducing the town’s payments or reducing the amount Plains will need to pay back.

Along with this, Plains replaced close to 600 water meters, upgrading the system to radio read meters. Mayor Brinson explained this will help ensure accurate and immediate numbers due to the digital way the meters will collect data through a computer system installed in the Public Works trucks.

It will also simplify the data collecting process. Instead of the Public Works employees having to physically read the numbers on the meters, the employees will now be able to plug into the system and read two to four blocks worth of meter data.

The project is considered to be an environmentally friendly project.

“It’s referred to as a green project because we’re looking to conserve water and that’s the reason we could get the money,” explained Mayor Brinson.

The upgrade to the water systems is also the reason the town water rates were increased by two dollars a connection or person.

“In order for the town to borrow money, the town had to prove that it could pay its bills. And in order to pay it and make the payments that we have to make… we had to increase the water rates,” said Mayor Brinson.

The mayor explained the increase in water rates did hurt some people in the community, however, “in order for us, council and mayor, to do the best thing we can do for the dollars we spend to upgrade the town, in my mind, it was just the best thing to do.”

Three companies were contracted for the job, including a local Sanders County construction company.

Muster Construction, based in Thompson Falls, is involved with the main part of the contract and are responsible for putting the water mains in place.

LHC Incorporate, a company from Kalispell, changed the internal parts of the meters and put in the radio reads and Noble Drilling is in charge of connecting the east and west water mains by connecting the mains underneath the railroad tracks.

Plains resident, John Revier, supplied the gravel needed for the projects to take place.

“Right now we’re happy with the way it’s going,” said Mayor Brinson.

Muster Construction started working on Ryan Street Monday, April 1 and are expected to finish within five to seven days.

Mayor Brinson stated the biggest part of the project would involve the work by The Circle and out on Highway 200.

“I think that will take longer than any one of these other ones,” said Mayor Brinson.