A $3 million project to improve the water supply and delivery system in Farmington is within a few months of completion, Farmington Water Company officials informed their members at a Feb. 7 annual meeting.
The wells are dug and the pumps in place. The pipes are in the ground, the tanks finished and all the company needs now is for Pacific Gas & Electric to hook up the electrics, said board president Les Strojan.
Begun last June after years of planning, the system is fully funded by the state and federal government (US Department of Agriculture).
Engineer Reid Johnson from Nolte Associates Inc. of Manteca briefly explained the system, which includes two wells, (one at the school and one further north), two pumps, two 100,000-gallon tanks and 8,000 feet of pipe. Everything is duplicated so machinery failure does not shut down the town's water supply.
The Farmington Water Company is a private entity formed to provide water to its members, which include the cemetery district, fire district and the school district, in addition to some 70 homes and businesses.
Strojan and Johnson answered questions from the audience at the annual meeting, ranging from inquiries about how the company determined the rates for the fire district to why some who use less water pay the same as a household with more members. The Feb. 7 session was hosted at Farmington Elementary School.
Strojan said the fire district covers an area roughly 10 times the size of the water district and the rate was based on the fire district's tax base.
One resident said she and her husband use only about 3,000 gallons of water per month but will still be assessed the standard rate. Other residents commented on the tearing up of roads for system construction and expressed hope they will soon be repaved. Johnson asked that any specific complaints be forwarded to him.
The standard rate for households is $70 per month, paid bi-monthly and based on a usage of 10,000 gallons every two months, with extra fees added for more water consumption.
Monthly charges also include fees of $120 for businesses and about $225 per month for the three districts.
Johnson commented the residents were very fortunate that the community received the federal grant. Strojan said he'd heard of small farming communities that borrowed money to get a water system put in place through the county and paid monthly rates of several hundred dollars per household.
While the system will initially serve 70 or so households, it can handle 100 homes in all - looking toward the future - but is not intended to promote land development.
Board members of the Farmington Water Company, in addition to Strojan, include Bill Blackmore, Al Caton, Ken Campoy, Linda Harp, Frank Perry and Randy Sakakura.
The wells are dug and the pumps in place. The pipes are in the ground, the tanks finished and all the company needs now is for Pacific Gas & Electric to hook up the electrics, said board president Les Strojan.
Begun last June after years of planning, the system is fully funded by the state and federal government (US Department of Agriculture).
Engineer Reid Johnson from Nolte Associates Inc. of Manteca briefly explained the system, which includes two wells, (one at the school and one further north), two pumps, two 100,000-gallon tanks and 8,000 feet of pipe. Everything is duplicated so machinery failure does not shut down the town's water supply.
The Farmington Water Company is a private entity formed to provide water to its members, which include the cemetery district, fire district and the school district, in addition to some 70 homes and businesses.
Strojan and Johnson answered questions from the audience at the annual meeting, ranging from inquiries about how the company determined the rates for the fire district to why some who use less water pay the same as a household with more members. The Feb. 7 session was hosted at Farmington Elementary School.
Strojan said the fire district covers an area roughly 10 times the size of the water district and the rate was based on the fire district's tax base.
One resident said she and her husband use only about 3,000 gallons of water per month but will still be assessed the standard rate. Other residents commented on the tearing up of roads for system construction and expressed hope they will soon be repaved. Johnson asked that any specific complaints be forwarded to him.
The standard rate for households is $70 per month, paid bi-monthly and based on a usage of 10,000 gallons every two months, with extra fees added for more water consumption.
Monthly charges also include fees of $120 for businesses and about $225 per month for the three districts.
Johnson commented the residents were very fortunate that the community received the federal grant. Strojan said he'd heard of small farming communities that borrowed money to get a water system put in place through the county and paid monthly rates of several hundred dollars per household.
While the system will initially serve 70 or so households, it can handle 100 homes in all - looking toward the future - but is not intended to promote land development.
Board members of the Farmington Water Company, in addition to Strojan, include Bill Blackmore, Al Caton, Ken Campoy, Linda Harp, Frank Perry and Randy Sakakura.
