Where: Garden Valley, Boise County, Idaho

Issue: Historic weather events caused a small water system’s well to fail

Outcome: RCAC’s loan fund provided a $25,000 loan for emergency well repair costs

Garden Valley Ranchettes Homeowners, Inc. (HOA) is located in Garden Valley, an unincorporated area of Boise County, Idaho about 53 miles north/ northeast of Boise. The rural community has a population of nearly 400.

The HOA owns the water system which serves 27 active water connections with two wells; however, only one is active. During January 2017, the area experienced severe and historic snow levels, which put pressure on the area’s power grid and caused the active well to fail. A repair company was able to replace the pump and restore service to the residents who had gone two weeks without water.

The emergency repairs totaled $30,000; Rural Community Assistance Corporation’s Loan Fund provided a $25,000 loan to finance the bulk of the cost.

In order to avoid a recurrence of this situation, the HOA has applied to the state of Idaho for a planning grant to construct a new well. U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development confirmed that the community is eligible for funding. A new well is expected to go online prior to the peak summer months in 2018. This will provide redundancy in the system in case the main well fails again and ensure that the water system can provide its customers reliable drinking water.