On Thursday, November 9, 2023, the Town of Star Valley Ranch (TSVR) will hold a Public Meeting at 7 pm at Town Hall to discuss emerging water system requirements currently being proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Water quality test results from October 2023 in combination with the delay in replacement of the Green Canyon Water Storage Tank liner (due to budgetary constraints) have prompted the EPA to issue an amendment to an existing Level 2 Assessment the Town received in September 2022.  The Town had previously completed all corrective actions required by the September 2022 Level 2 Assessment with the exception of the Green Canyon Water Storage Tank liner replacement.  The recent EPA amendment would require chlorination of our water system until such time that the Green Canyon Water Storage Tank liner project is completed.

The routine water quality sample tests from October returned positive indications for Total Coliform (TC). Note that TC is naturally occurring bacteria present in our environment and is not considered harmful; its presence in a water sample may indicate environmental contamination.  TC is not the same as Eschericha coli (E. coli) and it is important for residents to understand there have been no E. coli positive tests from our water system and no reports of any illness by our citizenry.  We are receiving support from the State of Wyoming’s Department of Environmental Quality and Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems.  Additionally, as a result of the Town’s request for State leadership assistance, Senator Dockstader is actively communicating with Senator Barrasso’s office. They will engage with the EPA at their level as we seek to better understand the EPA’s request for chlorination now when water quality results from the past year are in no way substantially different than water quality results dating back to 2016.

We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding with these water concerns and want to reiterate the health and safety of our community is our #1 priority.  Going forward, we’ll be providing regular updates as we look to provide more clarity on this developing situation and what we are doing throughout the process.  The Public Meeting scheduled for this Thursday is an initial step to keeping our community informed.  We’ll look forward to seeing you and doing our best to answer your questions.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Buyers, Mayor