SE Wyoming News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) expressed her satisfaction after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rendered a decision classifying the Periodic Spring in Afton as a groundwater source.

"The Periodic Spring is a safe and reliable water source for the people of Afton, and I am thrilled the EPA now agrees that this is a groundwater source without influence from surface water," stated Lummis.

Lummis further highlighted the potential financial implications, stating, "It would have been catastrophic for the small town of Afton to have to pay millions of dollars to build a water treatment facility if the EPA had decided this was not a groundwater source. This is a huge win for Afton, and I applaud the community leaders who fought hard against the EPA when it decided to try to change the classification of Afton’s Periodic Spring."

The town of Afton heavily relies on the Periodic Spring as its primary water source. With a population of 2,200 people and an annual general budget of $4.6 million, the town would have faced significant financial burdens if the EPA had classified the spring differently. Had the EPA made a final “ground water under direct influence” determination, punitive actions and expensive treatment operations upwards of $12 million would have been imposed on the town, while also jeopardizing other spring-fed water systems throughout the state.

In September 2022, Lummis, alongside Sen. John Barrasso, urged the EPA to collaborate with Afton and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to conduct additional tests on the quality of their spring water.

The decision by the EPA to classify Afton’s Periodic Spring as a groundwater source is a significant relief for the community and ensures continued access to safe and reliable drinking water.