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Water study addresses water loss and solutions August 10, 2017, 5:17 pmThe city's two water systems are each divided into seven pressure zones. The uppermost zones are located against Traverse Mountain in the northern part of the city, while the lower zones are situated to the south and extend to Utah Lake. Water loss is one of the most critical issues addressed in the study. Water loss can be due to leaks, breaks, hydrant flushing, construction water, waste pumping and unmetered uses (including drinking water overflow into the pressurized irrigation system). Study recommendations include funding an ongoing pipeline replacement program to replace leaky or aged pipes to reduce water loss. Some of the highlights of the study are outlined below. Drinking Water The city's drinking water system contains 15,142 service connections, eight storage tanks, seven wells, three springs, and six booster stations. Hansen, Allen & Luce estimates the city currently loses around 16 percent of its drinking water. That water loss is very close to the average loss in public water systems reported by the EPA, according to the study. Currently, the 500 West Well produces about 40 percent of the city's drinking water with the 1200 East Well supplying 18 percent, while Dry Creek Well supplies 13 percent. School House Springs, Birch Springs, and Hamongog Springs provide 14 percent of the city's flow. The remaining 15 percent of the City's drinking water supply comes from the Airport Well and from the Central Utah Water Conservancy District's water development project. The highest recorded annual production for the City's drinking water system occurred in 2015 and was 4,449 acre feet. Drinking water system recommendations included continuing to promote water conservation, investigating meter accuracy and verifying water loss, implementing a leak detection program and replacing problematic pipes. Pressurized Irrigation The city's pressurized irrigation system includes 12 storage facilities, 14 wells, one spring and eight booster stations. The system can also receive secondary water from the Central Utah Water Conservancy District and several irrigation companies. Study calculations indicate the system has less than 6 percent water loss. Pressurized irrigation system recommendations include continuing to promote water conservation, installing meters on the system to curtail excessive watering and begin charging according to water use. To reduce peak instantaneous demand and pressure fluctuations during a few overnight hours, Hansen, Allen & Luce recommends encouraging residents to water during a longer window. Hansen, Allen & Luce also suggests fixing the system's low pressure areas through more efficient use of the system and its zones and to address bottlenecks in the system at 2100 North and 1200 East by up-sizing the pipe in the area. The community news source for Eagle Mountain Utah, Saratoga Springs Utah, Lehi Utah, American Fork Utah, Highland Utah, Alpine Utah, and The Cedar Valley, including Cedar Fort Utah and Fairfield Utah. Copyright 2024 The Crossroads Journal LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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