The University of Wyoming is looking toward long-term sustainability with its future infrastructure investments, campus officials said. One such construction project will be the installation of two new water wells on the east side of campus.
$5 million was approved for the water well project in the legislative debates which outlined the 2015-2016 biennium budget, said James Scott, Director of the Physical Plant on campus.
“We were able to make our case this year,” Scott said. “This project focuses on implementing new infrastructure technology for a lot of the water lines we’ll be putting in. This could cut water usage for landscaping on the east end of campus by 30 percent.”
The project encapsulates three key components of Governor Matt Mead’s proposed budget, outlined during his 2014 State of the State Address earlier this year with a focus on water projects, infrastructure sustainability and University of Wyoming student recruitment and retention.
“Having an appealing campus is extremely important for student recruitment,” said Forrest Selmer, Deputy Director and Utilities Manager at the Physical Plant. “All these new buildings that have either been constructed or are approved for construction on campus have landscape aspects to their design. They like their Kentucky Bluegrass here, and that’s a thirsty grass.”
Scott said the two wells, currently responsible for providing non-potable water for landscaping purposes on the east portion of campus, are functioning well below their desired threshold.
“One of the wells is completely non-functioning, and the other one is responsible for all of the landscaping in its area,” Scott said.
The construction of the wells is anything but a simple process, Selmer said, highlighting that installation efforts will not truly begin to take place until mid-summer at the earliest.
“We won’t even receive the approved funds until July 1st,” said Selmer.
Richard Allen, an engineer with the Utilities Management Department of the UW Physical Plant, said two wells have already been drilled in order to test what sort of water flow capabilities existed in the areas surveyed for usage.
“This whole project will probably be ongoing for the next twelve to fifteen months,” said Scott.
The university had requested funds for the water wells project in 2012, to be included in the 2013-2014 biennium budget, but they were not approved at that time. Funds from this year’s budget also approved new buildings scheduled to be constructed in the area of campus the new wells would provide water for.
“I think you could say that the new research facility which will be built [on the east side of campus] plays a role in the approved funding,” said Scott.
The construction of the wells, Selmer said, will help to avoid circumstances in which the university’s water capacity does not meet its requirements.
“At one point we had to buy a large amount of water from the city to meet our irrigation needs. That’s not very cost effective, and the city’s very protective of its water supply,” said Selmer. “The installation of these wells will be a lot better for everyone in the long run.”
