Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Hailey upgrades water system

City continues meter vault installation

---

By MATT FURBER
Express Staff Writer

Hailey’s ongoing water meter vault installation project enters its second year this summer.

Hookups that front city streets will be upgraded, said Hailey City Engineer Tom Hellen.

Last summer, contractors with the city installed vaults in the alleys of old Hailey where residential water hookups are located.

"We have a few odds and ends left, but the alleys are done," Hellen said. "We’ll be digging holes in front of people’s yards."

The vaults are part of a larger project that will result in homeowners being charged for water use based on volume of use. The goal is to educate Hailey citizens and give an incentive for conserving water in the high desert environment.

Hellen said the city decided to take advantage of the low water year and do work in the Deerfield, Hiawatha and Curtis subdivisions close to the Big Wood River.

The Hailey City Council has approved bids for vault installation in the Northridge subdivision and digging should commence by the first week in July.

Plans for vault installation in the Woodside subdivision, originally scheduled for this summer, have been postponed so the city can focus on the riverfront properties. Bids for Della View and China Gardens are just going out, Hellen said.

"Bids for Woodside will go out, but I have doubts if we’ll get it done this year," Hellen said.

Once all vaults are installed the city plans to send homeowners standard water bills for a final irrigation season that would also show what water users would be charged if they were to be charged based on volume.

The strategy is intended to give residents a chance to learn about water usage before getting the revised bill. Efficient users would pay less than residents with more generous watering habits.

Whether the transition to volume-based charging for water will start in 2005 depends on whether the Woodside vaults are installed this year, Hellen said.

Most water mains are located on city property, although many yard improvements extend into the city right-of-way in Hailey.

Hellen said residents with questions about how the project will impact their front yards should contact the city.

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.