ROCK SPRINGS –– A project aimed at replacing sewer pipes at Western Wyoming Community College’s Snowy Range Residence Hall kept the building from being either completely remodeled or condemned, and the college is now looking at similar work at its White Mountain Residence Hall.

The board approved a request to solicit bids for plumbing renovation work at the White Mountain Residence Hall during its meeting Thursday evening. The project is anticipated to cost $1.5 million and will be funded through the housing funds. Construction is expected to start after May 9 and be completed by Dec. 12. Bid results and a recommendation to the board are expected to be available for either the May or June board meetings.

The project scope is similar to work that already occurred at the Snowy Range Residence Hall during 2024. Chris Dever, the college’s director of physical resources, said that project saved the building from being condemned. The issue at Snowy Range was due to corrosion of sewage pipes at the residence hall. The piping used when the residence halls were built degraded over time due to gases produced by the sewage. Dever said leaks developed and started seeping into the sheet rock. The building has three layers of sheetrock and by the time the leak became visible with the third layer, Dever said the leaks developed environmental issues on the first layer.

The project was initially started internally, but the scope of work needed at Snowy Range necessitated the use of an outside contractor. Work to correct the problems caused by the leaks involved tearing out the bathrooms and kitchens in the dormitory, as well as utilizing piping engineered for the building.

“It was very, very difficult,” Dever said.

Dever said Snowy Range is in good shape now and with that experience, the college has a better idea of the cost and scope of work that will be needed in White Mountain.