Engineer outlines water‑line plans and funding options for rural Mills County homes

County Engineer Jacob Ferrell told the Mills County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that engineers have drafted a plan to extend water service to north areas and a cluster of cabins, and that the county is exploring grant funding and phased construction to reduce costs for residents.

Ferrell said an 8‑inch extension to serve about 23 cabins was currently estimated at roughly $700,000–$750,000 for construction and contingency; a longer connection to Silver City was estimated in a broader concept at about $4.4–$4.5 million. “The rough number that I kind of based on the right now is you’re about 700 to $750,000,” Ferrell said.

He said USDA has certified Low‑and‑Moderate‑Income (LMI) status for 41–44 residents along the proposed route, and USDA/CDBG funding could contribute — Ferrell suggested the county might pursue up to $500,000 in CDBG money to lower individual costs. He noted a commonly discussed resident hookup fee of $3,000 and said the county had budgeted $365,000 for a planned grader trade‑in while asking to order a replacement unit priced at $432,131 pending trade valuation.

Why it matters: The plan targets residents who now rely on private wells and areas with limited pressure; for some properties the current wells have become unreliable. Extending service could address water quality and supply concerns and enable firefighting and other services in parts of the county.

Unknowns and next steps: Ferrell cautioned that final costs depend on design and bid results and that DNR report timelines and supply/contractor availability will affect when construction can start; he estimated parts of the project might not be online until late 2027. He urged the board to consider how much local LMI funding to commit and whether to phase bids (Part A, B, C) to get competitive pricing. Staff will return with refined cost breakdowns and options for packaging the work for contractors.