The Virgin Valley Water District is going to update the customer portal portion of our website in the near future.  As a current user of electronic services, these changes will likely impact how you conduct business online with the District.  To help insure a smooth transition we are asking customers to review their current account email address and make sure it is up to date. Keep your eyes on your inbox for future announcements as changes are coming soon.  Thank You!

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Sincerely,

Virgin Valley Water District

Happy 25th Anniversary Virgin Valley Water District
By Kevin Brown, General Manager

The Virgin Valley Water District Act, the legislation that created the Virgin Valley Water District, was approved by the Nevada State Legislature and the Governor of Nevada on May 10, 1993. In the beginning of the District, the assets of the Mesquite Farmstead Water Association were used to create the Virgin Valley Water District. The District served the City of Mesquite and some residents living in Arizona at the stateline. In 1995, the State Legislation was amended to expand the District’s service area by annexing the Bunkerville Water User’s Association.

In the 1940’s the Mesquite Farmstead Water Association and the Bunkerville Water User’s Association were formed to provide public drinking water for their respective communities. For the beginnings of water used in the Virgin Valley, you have to go back to the original pioneers who came to the area in the 1870’s.

In those early days, there were no wells, no clear mountain springs to use for a cool drink of water; there was only the Virgin River. Now if you aren’t familiar with the Virgin River, you might be shocked to learn that it isn’t a blue ribbon trout fishing river. The dissolved salts and the suspended dirt in the river make it look like flowing chocolate milk and taste rather salty. Nonetheless, the early pioneers had that available to them and they used it. They used it to drink. They used it to bathe. They used it to cook. They used it to irrigate. They used it to stay cool. It was the only water available. To make it a little more palatable and taste a little better, the pioneers collected the river water into cisterns, sprinkled ashes in the water, stirred the mixture and waited for the solids to settle out. The pioneers then collected the “clearer” water from the top of the cistern and used it for cooking, bathing, and drinking.

The first well in the valley was drilled in 1930 on the old school grounds in Mesquite. The well was 300 feet deep. The well water was not drinkable because of the high amount of dissolved solids (salts) so the water was used in the restrooms of the school. The first “water system” in the Valley was constructed in 1933. Through a small system of pipes, the system connected the Bunkerville High School and ten homes that utilized irrigation water from the Bunkerville irrigation canal. Soon after this, a 25,000 gallon and a 10,000 gallon concrete tank were constructed. The 10,000 gallon tank was built near the canal, the 25,000 gallon tank built on “Tank Hill”. Water was pumped from the 10,000 gallon tank up to the 25,000 gallon tank. The water from the 25,000 gallon tank then flowed into the system that served the ten homes and high school.

In the mid 1930’s, a plan was developed, funding was provided by the Soil Conservation Service, and labor from local residents and the Civilian Conservation Corps to develop several springs in the Virgin Mountains and construct a pipeline to bring the water part way down the mountain to a small dam near the mouth of Cabin Canyon. The small dam is still intact and is near the District’s existing steel tank high up near the mountains. Residents from the valley could then drive wagons or trucks to the dam and fill water barrels with much better quality water than the river water. A small water tank was built next to the dam for residents to receive their water (mainly because the small dam site had become a convenient swimming hole). Once enough funds were collected, a new tank, further down the mountain was constructed. It became known as the “Three Mile Tank”. The name, Three Mile Tank, is because the tank is almost exactly three miles from the location of where the bridge between Mesquite and Bunkerville is located. The tank was unique in that it had a wall inside the tank that separated the water into a 60%/40% split. The 60% side was for Mesquite residents. The 40% side was for Bunkerville residents.

In 1938, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints funded a project to construct separate waterlines from the “Three Mile Tank” to Bunkerville and Mesquite. Now local residents could go to the local standpipe and obtain water in town instead of having to drive up the mountain to the Three Mile Tank.

In the mid to late 1940’s, funding was secured to provide a rudimentary water distribution system. For Bunkerville, the Bunkerville Water User’s Association was responsible for the distribution system. For Mesquite, it was the Mesquite Farmstead Water Association that was responsible for the distribution system.

The two water companies continued to provide water for the next few decades. In the 1960’s several deep wells were drilled to tap into a deeper aquifer. This deeper aquifer provided much better water quality than the river and the shallow aquifer. As the population in the Virgin Valley began to grow, more deep wells were drilled, spring use was discontinued. 

In the early 1990’s the Mesquite Farmstead Water Association (a private company) petitioned the Nevada State Legislature to form a Water District (public entity). Becoming a public entity allowed the District to have access to public funding from federal and state funds for improvements. As mentioned above, the Bunkerville Water User’s Association became part of the Virgin Valley Water District in 1995.

Torrid growth from the late 1990’s until 2007 required the District to develop several new deep wells and new water tanks. Also, to comply with the then new arsenic standard established by the Environmental Protection Agency, the District built five new arsenic removal treatment plants in 2009 at a cost of $28,000,000.

Currently, the Virgin Valley Water District has 160 miles of pipe in the ground, nine deep wells, seven water storage tanks, five arsenic treatment plants, over 9,000 metered accounts, and over 20,000 acre-feet of water rights. The District continues to grow its’ infrastructure to keep up with the new growth spurt we are realizing. Wells by the Bank of Nevada and in Bunkerville are being constructed now. A new well north of Mesquite is in the planning stages. A new arsenic treatment facility will be built to treat the water from the new well in Bunkerville. A new water tank and transmission line will start construction later this year to serve the Sun City area. The District continues to replace old failing pipe a little at a time.

As part of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, the District tests for over 90 potential contaminants. The District consistently meets or is lower than the established public health standards. The single family average monthly use is 8,900 gallons – indicating water conservation is occurring. The days of draconian culinary water rate increases are behind us. After 25 years of ups and downs, the District’s management team, staff, operators, and Board of Directors is now strong with an eye to the future and at the same time making sure current needs are met. Abraham Lincoln said it best: “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” Here’s to another one score and five (25) years!

Happy 25th Anniversary Virgin Valley Water District (pdf.19KB)

Virgin Valley Water District Projects Update

By Kevin Brown, General Manager

As reported back in December 2016, June 2017, and December 2017 the Virgin Valley Water District continues to move forward with several projects that will impact residents and visitors in the Mesquite/Bunkerville area. The Flat Top Mesa Tank replacement project was completed in May 2018. The Mesa Blvd., Marilyn Parkway, and Aztec pipe replacement project was completed in February 2018. Current projects currently under construction are Wells 1A and 27A replacement wells. Projects that are in various stages of design and will begin construction in the next six months include: Northwest Tank and Transmission Line that will serve Sun City, Pipe Replacement on Pioneer Blvd. near the Eureka Casino, Well 34 in Lincoln County. Because each of these projects will have some impact on residents (temporary noise, traffic, decreased water pressure), we ask for your patience as each of these projects are necessary critical infrastructure improvements.

Well 27A replacement. Project is near the intersection of Pioneer Blvd. and Oasis Blvd. (Bank of Nevada Site). Project consists of a new fence around the site, new wellhouse building, landscaping, new well pump and motor, and other site improvements. Construction has begun and the project should be complete in August 2018. Potential impacts to local residents will be normal noise attributed to normal building construction and a pump rig lowering the new pump into the well.

The Well 1A Arsenic treatment plant project is next to the Bunkerville Town Cemetery (north side). We plan to build a new fence/wall around the well site, add new site piping that will connect the treatment plant up with the existing pipeline under Riverside Road (near the intersection of Riverside Road and Virgin Street), install a pump down the well hole, and construct a building at the well site to house the arsenic treatment plant. Residents can expect noise from construction work as we install the pump and construct the building. There will be traffic delays as the pipe is connected across Riverside Road. Work on this project is expected to start in May 2018 and be completed in February 2019.

Well 34 will add a new water source to the District’s groundwater portfolio. The project will take place in Lincoln County northwest of the District’s two large storage tanks. The project will entail drilling a new deep well, constructing a transmission line to our Treatment Plant 32, building a well house, and equipping the well with a new motor and pump. We anticipate construction to begin in January 2019 and be complete in December 2019. We do not anticipate any impacts to residents.

The Northwest Tank and Transmission Line project will begin around December 2018. We are currently obtaining pipeline easements and the purchase of two acres of land in Lincoln County. The tank will be a 2 million gallon storage tank that will feed Sun City with a nearly two mile long, 24” diameter transmission line. Construction is expected to take up to one year. Some traffic disruption on Mesquite Heights (Dump) Road may be realized due to the installation of the 24” transmission line.

Pioneer Blvd. Pipe replacement project will begin in November 2018 and be complete in March 2018. Project will replace failing 16” ductile iron pipe under Pioneer Blvd. from the intersection of Mesa Blvd. through the intersection of Oasis Blvd. and include some replacement on Oasis Blvd. Residents can expect some traffic slowdowns, possible detours, and construction related noise during construction.

We will do our best to keep the public informed about the progress of these projects that are necessary updates or repairs to our water system infrastructure. Most of them are made possible by the new rates approved by the VVWD Board of Directors in April 2015 and will ensure that the District will continue to provide our ratepayers with the best service possible.

If you have questions about any of the projects, please call the District at 702-346-5731.

Board Member Vacancy

NOTICE

The Virgin Valley Water District is now accepting resumes for a Board Director.  At the District’s April 3, 2018, meeting, a Board vacancy was declared. The successful nominee will serve out the remainder of the term of this position, until December 31, 2018.
 
At the time of employment, applicants must be 18 years of age or older, lived in Mesquite (north of the Virgin River for at least six months.  Applicants must commit to attending two Board meetings per month (first and third Tuesdays of the month at 5:00 p.m.

Resumes will be accepted until April 19, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) at the District office located at 500 Riverside Road in Mesquite, Nevada. Discussion of filling the vacancy will occur at the Board meeting set for May 1, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. All candidates, at the time of turning in their resume, will receive a letter from the District in accordance with NRS 241, informing them of the possibility of public discussion of the candidate’s character, misconduct or competence. The letter must be signed and returned to the District prior to the May 1, 2018 Board meeting.

Notice of Board Vacancy (pdf.9KB)

The District Board approved an increase in the Water Rates at the December 19, 2017 Board Meeting.  The pdf below shows how they will affect the monthly bill for the 2018 calendar year.

Final_Rates_Effective_March_2018.pdf

Proposed_Rates_Exhibit_B_12-19-2017.pdf