The Fernley City Council unanimously approved a funding application at its April 1 meeting to help pay for a proposed water-main extension and looping project along U.S. Highway 50A intended to improve water availability and reliability east of Nevada Pacific Parkway.
The high priority project in the city’s water master plan and capital improvement plan is expected to cost $3.5 million next fiscal year and another $2.6 million in fiscal year 2027–28.
The city is seeking low-cost financing or grants from the Nevada State Revolving Fund (SRF) to help fund the project, according to an earlier staff report from the utilities department.
The proposed project would extend a water main along Highway 50A from Nevada Pacific Parkway to Julia Lane at the golf course in the Desert Lakes subdivision.
All development east of Nevada Pacific Parkway is currently served by a water main along Farm District Road. That line is considered a “dead end” main, meaning water can only flow in one direction with no circulation. This could cause water quality problems with water stagnating in the line if it is not consumed rapidly enough, the staff report noted.
The line can be flushed to dispose of stagnant water and bring fresh water into the system, but flushing is described as “a costly expense of labor and wasted water.” In addition, if a dead-end water main needs to be shut down for repairs, users downstream from the repairs will lose water service until the main is repaired and put back online, according to the report.
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