Concurrent Meeting of Western Regional Water Commission and Northern Nevada Water Planning Commission – November 5, 2025

The Western Regional Water Commission (WRWC) and Northern Nevada Water Planning Commission (NNWPC) held a joint meeting on November 5, 2025, at 9:45 AM. The meeting included roll call, approval of prior minutes, a detailed presentation on the Phase 1A feasibility study for regional wastewater management, a program manager’s report, and annual priority setting for fiscal year 2027. Both commissions voted unanimously on agenda items and budget recommendations.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was approved unanimously by both WRWC and NNWPC.
• Minutes from the October 15, 2025, WRWC meeting and October 1, 2025, NNWPC meeting were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered.

Discussion Items

• Presentation on Phase 1A Feasibility Study of Regional Wastewater Management
  Zach Green (RAF Tellus) presented findings from Phase 1A, which identified regional wastewater challenges (capacity limitations, nutrient regulations, capital investment needs, governance complexity, interlocal agreement layers) and objectives (enhanced financial efficiency, integrated water resource management, operational reliability, loss of local control concerns).
  • Key speaker positions:
    • A representative from Sun Valley VID stated: “We’re not opposed to a regional, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we would give up our wastewater power.”
    • Kevin (from the consulting team) noted that one agency (identified as Sun Valley VID) is not interested in regionalization, preferring the status quo.
    • Commissioner Alexis Hill expressed appreciation for the alignment observed in the region and optimism about a one-water entity model.
    • The consulting team clarified that the sentiment from participants favors a single entity (one-water model) over a parallel wastewater authority, but the exact form (new entity or folding into existing TMWA) is to be determined.
  • The next phase (Phase 1B/1C) will focus on asset valuation, governance models, financial implications, and compensation for existing assets.
• Program Manager’s Report
  Charlie reported on the shared work program, including digital mapping tools, a document library with 600 historical records, email subscription launch, Cold Springs Water Balance model completion, and water usage audits (1,900 residential/commercial audits). Financials: FY25 revenues ~$2 million, FY26 Q1 revenues $525,000, expenses $176,000; no audit findings.
• Annual Priority Setting for Fiscal Year 2027
  Jen presented the results of the October 1, 2025, priority-setting session. Top focus areas: wastewater/effluent management (ranked #1), water quality (#2), water supply (#3), flood control/stormwater (#4), regional planning/strategic priorities (#5). The top seven ranked projects align with these areas. The resulting professional services budget detail recommends $600,000 for wastewater, $452,000 for water quality, and $430,000 for regional planning, with an $800,000 contingency fund.

Key Outcomes

• Priorities and Budget Approval
  • NNWPC voted unanimously to accept the priority-setting results and draft professional services budget detail, recommending incorporation into the FY27 WRWC budget.
  • WRWC voted unanimously to accept the priority-setting results, direct staff to incorporate the draft tentative professional services budget into the FY27 WRWC budget.
• Next Steps for Wastewater Study
  • The Phase 1A report will be finalized and presented to the boards in January 2026.
  • A proposal for Phase 1B/1C (asset valuation, governance model definition, financial analysis) is expected by end of November 2025.
• Meeting Schedule
  • No December meetings. January 2026: NNWPC on Jan. 7, WRWC on Jan. 21. February: NNWPC on Feb. 4, WRWC on Feb. 18 (tentative budget approval). March: no WRWC meeting due to Water Reuse Symposium.
  • The November 19, 2025, WRWC meeting was canceled; this meeting served as the November joint meeting.