Foss Reservoir Master Conservancy District

PROJECT PURPOSE

Foss Reservoir MCD treats and delivers potable water to Clinton, Hobart, Cordell, Bessie, Butler, and Frontier Development Rural Water District. Foss MCD is a water wholesaler that in times of drought has become the only potable water supply for over 20,000 people living in Custer, Washita, and Kiowa counties. Foss was brought online in 1974 to treat and desalinate potable water. It was not built as a primary water supply and did not have redundance built into the process. During the last major drought, the member cities lost their primary sources of treatable water and turned to Foss to supply all their potable water needs. Foss was able to fulfill the cities potable water needs but suffered severe damage to their existing water treatment equipment. The city of Hobart, Butler, and Frontier Development are still completely dependent on Foss for their water supply. Do to the fact that these cities are still completely dependent on Foss to supply all their potable water needs, Foss is unable to shut down and repair its only clarifier. Foss has contracted with an engineering company and is actively working on plans to replace the clarifier with new technology that will be built with several forms of redundancy. By installing new, redundant, pretreatment equipment, Foss will be better prepared to not only supply the citizens of western Oklahoma with a reliable daily supply of potable water but ensure that water is available in times of severe drought.

EVIDENCE

Foss Reservoir Master Conservancy District was built by the Bureau of Reclamation. Even though they are not directly involved with the daily operation of the treatment plant, they continue to provide assistance with treatment and conservation measures. Foss has engineering reports from three independent engineering firms that state the importance of replacing the current pretreatment process at Foss. Foss employed Duane Smith and Associates to develop a drought contingency plan for the district that states the high importance of replacing the current pretreatment at Foss with redundant clarification equipment. The contingency plan was approved by the Bureau and adopted by the member cities.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Clinton, Hobart, Cordell, Bessie, Butler, and Frontier Development have all been greatly impacted by the Covid outbreak. Covid decimated each cities number of healthy employees. By having Foss Master Conservancy District as an alternative source of potable water, each city could use available employees to cover other city provided services. At times during the Covid pandemic, cities relied on Foss while all of their water works employees were out sick.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Foss Reservoir Master Conservancy District is on the verge of a complete failure of its water treating equipment that supplies 20,000 people with potable water. The measurement of project performance is getting new pretreatment equipment funded and installed before there is any interruptions to the member cities receiving their daily allotment of potable water. Hobart, Butler, and Rural Development are now totally dependent on Foss to supply their daily potable water needs.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma