GREEN RIVER — During Tuesday night’s meeting, City of Green River Environmental Systems Superintendent Jason Palmer presented two significant proposals, one related to the city’s wastewater discharge permit and the other concerning a leak detection study for aging water lines.

Palmer explained that the city had been asked by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to modify the language of its existing wastewater discharge permit. Though the current permit does not expire until June 2026, the DEQ requested the modification to reflect the operation of the new wastewater plant set to come online this fall. Palmer clarified that the city will operate both the old and new plants briefly before transitioning fully to the new facility.

“We will be operating both plants for a brief period of time, and then we’ll roll to the new plant. Our permit doesn’t expire until June of 2026, so they’re just asking us to do a modification on it,” Palmer said.

The DEQ, which issues such permits, has requested that separate parameters be established for each plant. The City Council voted unanimously to approve the proposed modification.

In another matter, Palmer sought approval for a $3,500 expenditure to Fluid Conservation Systems to conduct an acoustic pilot leak study on the city’s aging cast iron water lines, some of which date back to 1950. The study will cover water lines in parts of Green River, including Flaming Gorge Way. Currently, the city uses seven blocks of four-inch cast iron lines, six blocks of six-inch lines, and three blocks of eight-inch lines.

Councilwoman Jessica Maser inquired whether the study was linked to potential damage caused by the rerouting of I-80 traffic through Green River after the tunnel crash last month. Palmer explained that the study would help determine if the rerouted traffic had caused any leaks, noting that leaks in areas like Flaming Gorge Way often do not surface due to the concrete panels covering the area.

“Concrete panels like on Flaming Gorge, when we have water leaks, they don’t necessarily come to the surface, so this is to let us know if we do have leaks, perhaps if the traffic caused that when everything was rerouted on Flaming Gorge instead of going through the tunnels,” Palmer said. “It’s letting us evaluate that.”

The Council unanimously approved the motion to proceed with the leak study.

In a third matter, the Council voted to approve the transfer of a Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust (WWNRT) grant to the City of Green River for the Killdeer Wetland project. The city partnered with the Green River Greenbelt Task Force in 2021 to apply for a $200,000 WWNRT grant. The Task Force was awarded the grant in 2022, but the funds have been held while design and engineering work is completed.

As the grant is set to expire in 2025, the Council approved a motion to transfer the grant to the city to streamline the process and ensure the funds remain available for the Killdeer Wetland project. The city is expected to be the primary bidder for the project, and the transfer will reduce hurdles.

“It’s just administrative cleanup really, to have it all under one entity instead of multiple ones,” said Mayor Pete Rust.