JACKSON, Wyo. — For Hoback residents, dealing with questionable drinking water is nothing new. Despite years of public outcry, past efforts to establish necessary political and developmental infrastructure, and the ongoing Hoback Junction Area Nitrate Investigation from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, many of our neighbors living near the confluence of the Snake and Hoback Rivers, in Hoback Junction, still do not have reliable drinkable water.
Along with critical contributions from community partners, Protect Our Water Jackson Hole (POWJH) is taking this challenge head-on.
Unlike most of our county, which sits atop a gravel-rich, free-flowing alluvial aquifer, Hoback Junction rests above starkly different geologic features that confine the availability and purity of its groundwater. Whether from elevated nitrates or other contaminants (sulfur, suspended solids, etc.), most Hoback residents have a good reason not to love their tap water.
Human exposure to nitrates in drinking water has been a major research focus for decades. The Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate set to protect against blue-baby syndrome in 1962 is 10 mg/L. While many studies from the mid-1900s were targeted at this potential outcome from elevated prenatal nitrate exposure, more current studies indicate that chronic exposure may be associated with enhanced risk of digestive system cancers and adverse reproductive outcomes, including low birth weight, preterm birth or central nervous system defects in infants.
It’s also important to note that the impacts from lifetime exposure to nitrates in drinking water obtained from private wells are poorly understood due to a lack of consistent and comparable data. While it has long been thought that nitrate levels greater than 3 mg/L indicate human pollution, localized environmental factors can contribute to differing natural baselines.
Despite the mixed conclusions from scientific literature, it is clear that caution around, better monitoring for and action to mitigate chronic exposure to nitrates in drinking water are all necessary.
With support from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, POWJH launched the Hoback Clean Water Initiative. This initiative addresses both the immediate need for clean drinking water and the creation of a long-term solution for clean water.
This initiative supplied $25,000 towards Hoback Water and Sewer District (WSD) planning efforts earlier this year. In addition, with the coordination by POWJH staff and on-the-ground water delivery by JH2O, the Hoback Clean Water Initiative supplies clean drinking water to over thirty Hoback Junction households; an endeavor estimated to cost over $30,000 this year.
While a long-term solution for Hoback has been in the works for decades, recent developments are good reason for optimism. A Level I Study to assess whether or not a water problem existed was completed back in 2006. Fast forward seventeen years, and on February 21, Hoback residents voted 35-0 to establish a WSD, an organized district with the ability to acquire, treat and provide domestic drinking water to residents and provide sanitary treatment and disposal of surface water and wastewater. Lastly, a Level II Study is currently underway, exploring the funding and infrastructural options for creating a water system for domestic and fire suppression purposes.
Despite this progress, major barriers persist. Hoback Junction’s unstable geology, limited land and inconsistent groundwater flows are major challenges. Finally, many wonder – if it exists, how much will the best long-term solution cost?
For now, one thing is certain: Hoback Junction deserves clean drinking water just as much as the rest of Teton County. POWJH will continue to do our part to provide clean drinking water for Hoback residents.
By meeting the short-term need for clean drinking water and helping facilitate a long-term solution for the area, POWJH continues to serve our community by advocating for the restoration and protection of the surface and groundwater resources that allow us to thrive.
You can make an impact on local water quality during the Old Bill’s Giving Season by supporting Protect Our Water Jackson Hole. Give via Old Bill’s today! To learn more visit powjh.org/hoback-water.
