Great Bend City Councilman Gary Parr had several questions before moving to approve two water studies costing $160,000. They were approved by a 6-0 vote at Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting.

Public Works Director Jason Cauley reported on the request, noting much of the cost was set aside in 2023 in a fund created for a comprehensive utilities study. The agreements for the studies are with JEO Consulting Group and Brad Shores from JEO was also there to answer questions.

The first agreement with JEO is for a 2025 Water System Preliminary Engineering Report for $75,000 and the second is for a 2025 Wastewater Treatment Facility Preliminary Engineering Report for $85,000.

Data will be collected from records that the City already has. The water system was privately owned until the City acquired it in the late 1990s. There will also be some hands-on evaluations and water quality tests, Cauley said.

The water system project will evaluate both the City’s main water system and the airport water system, identifying current issues and proposing solutions for future needs. The study will focus on water supply, distribution, storage and quality, while also considering the City’s growth projections. JEO will provide recommendations for system improvements, along with cost estimates.

“We’ll also do a rate study,” Cauley said. “Of course, we’ll address the distribution, storage issues and proposed upgrades or replacements.” These might include the replacement of cast iron water mains that can still be found in areas such as 16th St.

Councilman Parr initially questioned the need for the study.

“Is it (the water system) in such disarray that it’s going to cost us $75,000 to find out what’s wrong?”

“I would say it is not in disarray,” Shores said. “We want you to be prepared to handle some of those increasing regulations that we do see coming down the line. We’re identifying where you’re at, long- and short-term needs.” The study provides a 20-year plan and helps the City budget for the next four or five years.

“This would be something that would help us determine what our capital improvements should be,” Cauley said. “There are multiple things in our system that do need improvements, but .. we may not catch something that the engineers will come through and catch. On top of that, they will be able to give us financial projections.”

Mayor Cody Schmidt asked if having the study will help the City secure grant funding.

“It certainly sets us up in a better position to go after grants,” Shores said.

Parr also asked about water consumption. Cauley said it was 600 million gallons last year and 550 million the year before. While there was a run with a lot of waterline breaks, for multiple reasons, the number of breaks has decreased this year.

Councilwoman Tina Mingenback commented on the funding. “$125,000 was put back in 2023 so we could start doing these studies,” she said.

Councilman Cory Urban asked if the data collected in this study will integrate with GIS (geographic information system) “so we have everything digitized.”

Cauley was not sure because the City has data on paper that needs to be digitized. He said the City needs to build a dashboard for water data online so they can start inputting information. “It’s a pretty expensive endeavor.”

“Maybe we should table this until we do that,” Mayor Schmidt said. Cauley responded that the study is needed.

The second study is “pretty much the same but for the Wastewater Treatment Facility,” Cauley said. “It is definitely needed.”

JEO will evaluate the facility’s condition, capacity and safety, focusing on both immediate repairs and long-term upgrades.