On Dec. 14, representatives of Hansen, Allen & Luce Inc. presented the Price City Council with a final report of a water depletion and recovery study.
The council commissioned the study in spring 2005 and the completed document was presented at Tuesday’s meeting.
The scope of the study was to estimate the current and future water demand for Price city, to estimate the current and potential depletion and to identify and evaluate supply and recovery alternatives.
Greg Poole, who represented the engineering firm, gave the council a brief summary of the study’s conclusions. He said it was determined that, for 1999 through 2003, the per capita water consumption for Price city was 268 gallons per day.
The current population of Price is estimated at 9,670, and at current growth rates, the engineer firm estimates that the city will have 12,300 residents by 2030, and increase of 27 percent.
Currently, the city must import 3,928 gallons per minute to satisfy demand during peak summertime usage.
The study found that, at the present time, the city’s water sources barely meet the peak demand.
The Colton Springs and Castle Gate water treatment plant combined produce a capacity of 3,970 gallons per minute.
If the population of the city reaches more than 12,000 in the coming years as expected, the peak demand is estimated to increase to 5,701 gallons per minute.
The situation would create a water shortfall of 1,730 gallons per minute if nothing is done to update the system or to cut back on use.
The study recommended a combination of new water source exploration and conservation measures be implemented to deal with the problem.
It was suggested that Price develop deep wells in the White River and Emma Park areas if possible and explore the possibility of using water from the surrounding mines.
An expansion of the Castle Gate treatment plant is recommended and so is the possible re-use of water from the wastewater treatment facility in Wellington.
Some cities around the world are currently using reclaimed wastewater with good results.
New surface water reservoirs would be costly, but that too is a possibility.
The study also recommended that the city implement a secondary water system for outdoor use and construct a second culinary storage tank on top of Wood Hill.
As for conservation measures, the study suggested regulating city growth with possible zoning requirements that mandate low water use landscaping.
Replacing of old water lines that leak and a community education program that stresses water conservation represent another recommendation.
At the conclusion of the presentation, city engineer Gary Sonntag told councilmembers that the next step is to do a cost analysis of the recommendations and forward the report to the Utah Water Quality Board.
The matter was placed in the city’s unfinished business file and will be revisited by the Price council at a future meeting after the cost analysis study is complete.
In another matter of business, Bill Howell, director of the Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments, presented the Price council with a written outline of a proposed timetable for building an addition to the SEUAOLG Business and Technical Assistance Center.
The BTAC is located at 375 South Carbon Avenue and houses several government agencies. The center acts as a resource for small business development in the community.
In November, BTAC staff approached the council about building an addition on the south side of the facility, and asked that the project be placed on the list of Community Impact Board projects. Tuesday night’s presentation was a follow-up to that proposal.
Howell asked the council for permission to proceed with retaining the services of an architect, completing a design and construction estimate, procuring funding, and bidding the construction project. The timetable allows for competing all engineering and preliminary financial work by August 2006, at which time a grant application will be submitted to the CIB for the actual construction. After a short discussion, the council approved a resolution allowing the BTAC to proceed with the project.
Another item covered at the meeting was a request by Art and Madeline Nikas for the return of a water share. In 1981, in lieu of surrendering a water share to the city for an outside water connection, the Nikas family paid Price City $2000. They also paid a $700 water connection fee that was never used. Since the water connection was never made, the Nikas family asked that the money be refunded to them. After a short debate, the council approved giving the Nikas family their money back.
Mayor Joe Piccolo presented outgoing council members Betty Wheeler and Mae Aguayo with plaques honoring their faithful service to the city in their time spent on the city council. The mayor also presented the city’s Visionary Service Award to Alice Beacco, and complimented her for many years of faithful service to the community.
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