Task force looks at Hoback water options

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI/KIDK) - After a half-year of study and public meetings, the Hoback Drinking Water Quality Stakeholder Group have come up with proposals to improve drinking water in Hoback Junction. The group has been working in coordination with Teton County and the Teton Conservation District.

For many years, some areas of Hoback Junction have had drinking water that has unsafe concentrations of nitrates that exceed Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. The stakeholder group was created to look at options.

One option includes forming a special district to find the most appropriate and feasible way to access safe drinking water in the area.

"We understand that forming a special district is a commitment from the community," said Teton Conservation District's Water Resource Specialist, Carlin Girard. "Before we move forward with that recommendation, we want to make sure that it is something the community believes in."

Short term options include providing free or discounted purification systems and septic inspections for hot spots.

"Finding solutions that will work for the community has been the top priority for the stakeholders and steering committee," Girard said. "The Stakeholder Group has committed a lot of their time to learning about this issue, and now that they have draft recommendations, they need to see how they align with the needs of the constituents they represent."

A public meeting will be held Monday, February 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria of Munger Mountain Elementary School at 7605 US-89. A presentation on the history and progress of the project will begin at 6:15 p.m.

You can find more details on the project here.