Spanish Fork adopts water and irrigation master plans, first update since 2012

Spanish Fork has new drinking water and pressurized irrigation master plans, the first full update since 2012. The City Council adopted both on roll-call votes Nov. 3, Cory Pierce, who presented the plans, said. ^[1]

Cory Pierce, who presented the plans, told the council that the city's drinking water comes mostly from five springs up the canyon, plus a couple of wells certified for the system, and that planning is based on a dry year. Today the system needs about 9.51 million gallons of storage and has 13.25 million, leaving about 3.74 million gallons in excess. Pierce said the city will need roughly 4 million gallons more at build-out, and that it serves about 18,370 equivalent residential connections now. ^[1]

Pierce said unaccounted-for drinking water, which includes leaks and anything that does not go through a meter, has been reduced to below 10% through the city's pipe replacement program, leak detection and monitoring. ^[1]

For secondary water, Pierce said the pressurized irrigation system has about 9,000 gallons per minute of excess supply on a peak day today, but would be short about 8,800 gallons per minute at build-out. Storage depends mainly on Spanish Oaks Reservoir, which has about 25 million gallons against a build-out need of 30.89 million gallons. He said the plan points to another reservoir or pond further west, near where the water will be used, filled using the city's irrigation water rights. ^[1]

Council member Kevin Oyler asked about conservation. Pierce said the city used less pressurized irrigation water this year than last, partly because of late-season rain, and that water use per home is falling even as the city grows. He said the city plans smaller annual updates to the plans. ^[1]

In other business the same night, the council approved GBS Benefits as the city's employee insurance broker. ^[1]

The city has not posted minutes for the Nov. 3 meeting, so this report relies on the meeting video. It will be checked against the minutes when they are posted.