Water planners don't like rail trench plan

RENO - Regional water planners raised concerns about part of a plan to build a railroad trench through downtown Reno that would dump storm runoff near a Truckee River treatment plant that provides drinking water to Sparks.

Storm drainage from north Reno streets and gutters already flows to the Truckee River, but enters the river at six spots downtown well upstream from the treatment plant.

The Reno railroad trench project calls for consolidating those pipes into one big culvert that would empty into the river 500 feet upstream of Sierra Pacific Power Co.'s Glendale Water Treatment plant. The plant provides drinking water to homes and businesses in neighboring Sparks.

Water planners said dumping the water, which contains trace amounts of motor oil and other contaminants, in one big slug so close to the plant could cause problems.

Five hundred feet is not enough distance to allow the river to dilute contaminants or for them to settle out, evaporate or break down, they said.

''This is a big issue for us,'' said Lori Williams, who sits on the water planning commission and is the power company's water director.

''Were not happy at all. If its consolidated, it should dump below the Glendale plant.''

The water planners' concerns will be forwarded to Washoe County commissioners who will send them to the Federal Highway Administration and the Nevada Department of Transportation. The two government agencies are collecting public comment on a draft environmental impact statement they released last month that evaluates the proposed railroad trench.

Water planners also expressed concerns that the proposed trench project would cause erosion to the river bed below the proposed culvert.

They also asked the federal government and the state to come up with a contingency plan in case the city of Reno runs into big problems with groundwater.

Engineers who worked on the environmental impact statement are convinced Reno can build the 2 mile-long trench without having to continuously pump large amounts of groundwater.

About 3,300 feet of the trench would have to be built at or below the water table. The aquifer in the area is contaminated with cleaning solvents and hydrocarbons.

If the contractor cannot build a watertight structure within budget, all work on the project would stop, environmental consultant Mark Demuth said. The technology Reno will use to build the trench has been used all over the world, including in San Francisco for two subway stations.

''We have competent engineers who have looked at this and say it can be done,'' Demuth said. ''We have no reason to doubt the engineers.''