Rural Water Systems provide a clean, safe source of water for domestic uses, homes, businesses, and livestock operations.
Logan East Rural Water System
Wau-Col Regional Water System
Who is responsible for planning and constructing rural water?
In compliance with State law, Nebraska’s 23 Natural Resource Districts (NRDs) are liable for high quality water supplies out of city limits. The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District has successfully completed two projects: Logan East Rural Water System in the Oakland/Scribner area, and the Wau-Col Regional Water System in the Wausa/Coleridge area.
What steps are necessary to plan, design, and construct?
If sufficient “potential customer interest” is shown, the LENRD Board of Directors may authorize a preliminary engineering study to analyze major components.
Does the study address critical engineering details?
Boundary surveys, voluntary easement descriptions, floodplain and environmental permits, geo-tech investigations and many related issues are included.
Who pays for the preliminary engineering study?
The project is for the benefit of those within a specific geographic area. Landowners within the specific geographic area are asked to complete a survey questionnaire to gather information to determine the feasibility of the project. Those landowners are also asked to include a survey fee with the questionnaire. Those fees, along with potential grants, pay for the preliminary engineering study.
If the preliminary study is positive, what happens next?
The preliminary study will be completed in seven months. USDA-Rural Development hopefully will also complete their basic analysis – to fund the project – or not, in this time frame. If the analysis is positive, LENRD Board of Directors will then request final engineering bids and the project will go forward.
What determines whether a project is constructed?
A reasonable amount of interest must be shown from rural communities and rural populations who will be customers.