Lyon County has been awarded $11.9 million in grant and loan funds through USDA Rural Development Nevada to build a waste water collection system for nearly 500 users who are currently on septic tanks near Dayton. The project aims to reduce nitrate problems.
“This infrastructure investment will protect the health of the Dayton community and shows how partnership efforts at the local, state and federal level can make a real difference,” said USDA RD State Director Sarah Adler in a news release Wednesday. “We applaud Lyon County for planning ahead and fixing a problem before it becomes an emergency.”
There are 492 homes currently on septic tanks in the Daytona Heights and Mark Twain areas. The funds include a $6.92 million loan and $4.98 million grant through USDA Rural Development’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. The term of the loan is 40 years at 2.75 percent.
Other funding partners assisting with the project include the State of Nevada Revolving Loan fund, $2.5 million; the US Army Corps of Engineers, $352,500; the State of Nevada’s Community Development Block Grant, $158,500; the Carson Water Subconservancy District, $15,000, and Lyon County, $57,500. The total project cost is $14.9 million, according to the news release.
Homes in the subdivisions are currently using separate septic systems. Increased nitrate concentrations in the area’s public drinking water production and some private wells were reported in 2008-2009. Historical water quality data has confirmed that nitrate concentrations have been increasing toward the maximum level allowed by the State of Nevada Bureau of Safe Drinking Water Regulations.
Excessive nitrates in drinking water can adversely affect children’s health, sometimes causing “blue baby syndrome,” a condition in which infants are unable to absorb oxygen. In many communities with high numbers of septic tanks, “boil water orders” must be issued when nitrate concentrations threaten community health.
In order to avoid excessive nitrate contaminations and to protect the health of residents, the Lyon County Commission made a decision to move forward with the waste water collection project and eliminate multiple separate septic systems.
The project work in the Mark Twain and Daytona Heights Subdivisions includes the installation of 39,650 linear feet of new sanitary sewer mains, 71,292 linear feet of sewer lateral lines and the abandonment of nearly 500 separate septic systems. The project has not yet been let out for bid.
USDA Rural Development has invested over $153 million in Lyon County over the last four years, with $14.3 million in water and waste water system improvements and over $139 million in Housing Program investments.