Government Grant

Walhalla city officials are looking to create a long-term plan to improve its water system, which has experienced line breaks, boil water advisories and discolored water in the past few months.Walhalla Mayor Tim Hall said the city is preparing to undergo a study for a 10-year plan.”If it grows like a weed, it’s a weed. You can’t grow without a plan or without a way forward and the resources to do it,” Hall said. “My dad used to have a sign on his wall for many years that said, ‘Lead, follow or get out of the way,’ and so, we’re trying to lead.”The move comes after Hall said there were four water line breaks and discolored water that poured out of some people’s taps back in July. “Well, that’s not acceptable either,” he said. City officials will be looking to map exactly what lines are buried underneath its streets and where the problem areas lie. For the time being, Hall said the city council has approved several measures while the plan gets worked on. “Stop extending the water system until we have a future plan until we make sure that Walhalla’s taxpayers are getting a good deal,” Hall said. The second motion that was approved stops new taps from being done on lines that have shown cannot handle the extra demand for water pressure.Hall said more than 75% of the around 7,000 households that receive water from the city live outside of its boundaries. “We’re really feeling a lot of growth out in the county, and so, let’s stop, take care what we got, and then, let’s move forward with a plan a solid way,” Hall said. The mayor said early estimations suggest upgrading the city’s infrastructure could cost around $30 million. He said the cost would be covered by a combination of grant money and city money. “Let’s keep focus on the future. It’s going to take time. It’s not an instant fix. It’s going to take a lot of money. It’s not an instant fix,” Hall said. In the meantime, city officials said they are completing work on a multimillion-dollar project to increase water pressure along Highway 11. Crews will soon start work on a $10 million project to replace an old water main that, according to the mayor, was laid down in 1922.