The Mountain Regional Water Special Service District, one of Summit County’s largest water providers, says its customers could experience a shortage if major developments continue to request annexation into the district. The severity of the water shortage depends on how successful the district ’s conservation efforts are and whether the Summit County Council favors expanding the district’s boundaries, according to District Clerk Andy Garland. However, Garland did not specify how the discrepancy would affect the average customer. “Without additional conservation, without an additional source, we are going to have an 800-gallon-a-minute shortfall,” Garland said. “It doesn’t sound like it’s a lot, but we can’t go to Walmart and buy it. We have to actually physically find that water.” Garland said it’s possible for the district to retain a 300-gallon-a-minute surplus if it meets its conservation goals. He said relying on the district’s ability to find new water sources is risky, and the district prefers encouraging customers to conserve the resources they already have. But if the district is directed to annex large developments, such as Altus Park City or the mixed-use Junction Commons neighborhood, then the demand for services will increase by an estimated 1,100 gallons per minute. Currently, Mountain Regional Water covers approximately 38 square miles in the Snyderville Basin and has 6,067 connections. The Lost Canyon pump station has the capacity to release 9,200 gallons a minute, with an estimated 6.3 million gallons of drinking water delivered on peak days. The looming development projects are not in the district’s current boundaries, and Garland said Mountain Regional Water’s control board is looking for direction from the County Council regarding its approach to annexation requests. The control board has the legal authority to approve or deny annexation requests based on the proximity of the development to the existing boundaries, the difficulty of installing infrastructure and the overall cost of the project. Garland said the board is willing to reject annexation requests that would strain the system, but district leadership wanted to ensure the board is aligned with the County Council’s desires. “We have had several projects surrounding the district that are seeking water,” Garland said. “We have water providers in the Snyderville Basin who aren’t necessarily fulfilling their needs, and they’re looking for someone to help to do that. None of these projects will be able to go forward unless water can be acquired.” Garland said the district is in a tough spot, too, because its only revenue comes from ratepayers, making it difficult to save enough to fund large infrastructure projects. The district could purchase water from other providers, but Garland said that would be challenging on an already limited budget. “We could consider buying water from Park City, but that’s not cheap,” Garland said. “When you look at affordable housing, your rent could be cheap, but you’re paying $800 a month for water. I don’t know how that’s affordable.” Garland said the district has not accepted any annexation requests for pending developments, but developers have asked to be considered. He said the control board wanted to know whether it should prioritize expansion, which would come with additional costs, or deny those requests and focus on its current customer base. However, only three county councilors were available to attend Wednesday’s meeting, so County Council Vice Chair Roger Armstrong recommended treating the conversation as a preliminary discussion. He asked Mountain Regional Water to reach out to county councilors Canice Harte and Chris Robinson, who were absent, as well as Christie Babalis, who is expected to replace Robinson as the county’s District 4 representative in January, for their preferences. Armstrong and county councilors Megan McKenna and Tonja Hanson appeared aligned on their desire to prioritize existing customers, though. “As a council, our main priority is the health, safety and welfare of our constituents, and when I look at this list, a lot of these constituents aren’t here yet because it’s just approvals, and no one has lived there,” Hanson said. “I really think we need to be looking at the problems that are on the ground right now and how we solve for those.” Armstrong said he believed the County Council erred by not including Mountain Regional Water in development discussions earlier in the process, especially because water availability often tops community members’ list of concerns whenever the County Council reviews a new proposal. He also cautioned against expanding the district boundaries into eastern Summit County and encouraged the district to focus on conservation and the current customer base. “This is the first time in my experience on council that I’ve seen this forecast a potential deficit with growth,” Armstrong said. “That got my attention. I have not seen that before. We’ve always had a plan.” Mountain Regional Water is expected to discuss the issue with the County Council again toward the end of October. The County Council did not take any formal action, with Armstrong saying the conversation was a starting point for an ongoing exploration of the county’s water resources. The post Mountain Regional Water warns of potential shortage as large developments ask for services appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less