Dry Wash Presentation
Chuck Gillette provided a PowerPoint presentation to the Mayor and City Council, a copy of which is available as an attachment to this agenda. He reported that Scott Taylor, who is the Water Services Manager for the City of St. George, provided a sample of reuse water for evaluation, highlighting its clarity and similarity to drinking water. The water undergoes various treatment processes, including chemical, physical, and biological processes, as well as tertiary treatment through sand filtration. The clarity of the water is attributed to the sand filtration process, which reduces particle sizes significantly. The water must meet specific requirements to be classified as class one reuse water. Additionally, the water is chlorinated to eliminate contaminants and maintain a residual chlorine level for distribution system protection. Despite being non-potable, chlorination is required for this type of reuse water. The discussion also addressed misconceptions about the water quality and emphasized the importance of accurate information dissemination, taking issue with a current article by the Salt Lake Tribune with an inaccurate and inflammatory title. Residents are concerned with heavy metals. Chuck Gillette addressed heavy metals in the water and reported that 17 metals are tested quarterly by the treatment plant as part of their discharge permit. The latest sample from January revealed that only eight of those metals were detected, none of which exceeded the drinking water standard for metals. The discussion also touched on PFAS, where the effluent was tested for 40 chemicals, with only 10 found. Despite concerns, the concentration of those chemicals remained low, with one even increasing through the treatment process due to chemical transformations. The EPA's regulations on PFAS was highlighted, emphasizing the stringent standards set for drinking water, measured in parts per trillion. The potential concentration of contaminants in the reservoir due to evaporation was also examined using a mass balance equation, revealing minimal accumulation over time even in a worst-case scenario, providing reassurance regarding the safety of the reuse water. He discussed the potential accumulation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in sediments within the reservoir, expressing a need for further analysis due to time constraints. PFOA, commonly found in products like Teflon, is a clear liquid and does not readily settle unless bound to other particles. Research suggests that it does not adhere well to particles. Given the extremely low concentrations measured in parts per trillion (nanograms per liter), introducing 1200 acre feet of water into the reservoir would result in a small amount of PFOA. However, when water flows out of the reservoir, most of the introduced PFOA is carried out, preventing significant accumulation over time. Further calculations are required to determine potential accumulation rates in soil due to evaporation. Sediment deposition from the 7.2 square mile drainage basin introduces two to three acre feet of sediment annually, potentially covering any accumulated PFOA. While acknowledging the complexity of the situation, he emphasized the need for additional analysis and highlighted the importance of expert input from organizations like the Washington County Water Conservancy District to provide comprehensive data and insights on PFOS accumulation in sediment. Mayor Hart commented that someone mentioned pharmaceuticals but as he understood, those are not tested for because they're not required to at this level of treatment. They have received a letter from the State Division of Water Quality, endorsing the reservoir and stating that there is no cause to be concerned about those particular issues. The Water Conservancy District has indicated that the EPA regulates the treatment that has to comply with the Federal EPA standards. The water is treated to a human contact level and is water that people swim in and is placed in reservoirs all over the country and used recreationally.
Mayor Hart referred to residents being concerned about odor and indicated that is based on concentrations. Council Member Anderson indicated that people are comparing this potential reservoir to the lagoons that are in Hurricane but clarified that those are not treated. Chuck Gillette stated that was correct. Those are sewer lagoons that have not been treated. Mayor Hart referred to midges and other insects that may occur because of the reservoir. Council Member Scott indicated that he spoke with Sean Amodt at the Southwest Mosquito Abatement District who told him that midges are born in water but the larvicide that they use to kill mosquito larvae doesn't likely work on midges but there is meeting next week to find out more. Regarding gnats and noseeums, those are born on land at the base of trees and like water. When he asked if there's a way to control those, there is but they would need to fog the locations every day during the season so it is a question of cost and manpower. Mayor Hart stated that there were a variety of other concerns expressed including tamarisk eradication and dust. It is impractical for the City to eliminate dust to the point of eradicating Valley Fever or dust all together. He has arranged for Terry Marten, Matt Marten and Wayne Pennington to meet with Washington County Conservancy District staff and engineers to address Wayne’s structural concerns and they are trying to accommodate all of those things and keep the conversation advancing. He commented that likely everyone in attendance at the meeting and everyone through the City would love to see a 100 acre open space where the Dry Wash reservoir is planned to be but that's not the issue. The City has a direct responsibility to provide essential services, water being at the top of the list and not only for current residents, but for future residents as well. Ivin’s City essentially owns or has rights to 15% of its own water. Ivins City is the most water poor community in the entire county. The City of Santa Clara for example, has 85% of their own water and relies on the Water Conservancy District for 15% of their water needs and Ivins City relies on the Water Conservancy District for 80% of Ivins water needs. The other fact is that Ivins has a delivery pipeline for the culinary water that is on the edge of capacity. If Ivin's continues to grow, and it will, delivering culinary grade water is going to at some point be an impossibility. Ivins going out on its own to obtain water simply is not an option because there are no water shares available. Ivins City remains reliant on the Water Conservancy District and because of that dependency, Ivins City has to look to the Water Conservancy District to provide the answers for Ivins and that answer is the Dry Wash reservoir. Ivins continues to advocate for the Graveyard Wash reservoir to be built first, to give Ivins time to further consider the options. There is one categorical fact that overrides most, if not all of the alternatives, and that is time. With Ivins reaching the end of capacity on the delivery system of culinary water, and the unacceptable cost of running another pipeline from Quail Creek Reservoir all the way out to Ivin's, Ivins has to do something different. If the Water Conservancy District started the process today on any one of the options, it would take decades from start to finish, based on their experience, with the most recent being the Chief Toquer reservoir that is currently being built just off of I-15 near Toquerville. That reservoir took 25 years from the time they started doing the environmental work on it, to it now being under construction. Bringing a pipeline across the Shivwits reservation and working on obtaining easements and similar, would take 20 years at a minimum. What this City Council has to consider is how is Ivins City going to deliver water? That is their responsibility and they have to look at the options. Ivins has to look first to the Water Conservancy District and if their declaration is that Dry Wash reservoir is the only thing they have on the table to do that, then that is where the City stands. Council Member Anderson indicated that the Water Conservancy District has been taking Ivins money to build the Districts infrastructure somewhere but not helping Ivins. Building a treatment plant would help in this situation. Mayor Hart clarified that the Water Conservancy District has told him that if they started right now on a treatment plant, it would be 15 years out at best due to environmental regulations, which add up to years before things can happen. Council Member Smith stated that one of the questions that will likely come up is the cost to the City to maintain the reservoir so at some point an analysis should be done so that if it moves forward, it is well thought out, there's no seepage and it is done correctly. Mayor Hart indicated that the City would not be obligated to maintain the reservoir. Council Member Anderson stated that a previous City Council obligated Ivins City to the reservoir and he would like to know what else they obligated the City to. Mayor Hart indicated that the City has an obligation to provide water but it takes endless years for the process so the City has to find a way to get the water. Council Member Anderson inquired if the Water Conservancy District has determined what property will be affected. Mayor Hart stated they are not at that depth of the conversation yet. The first obligation as a City is provide water to residents both now and in the future
Mayor Hart commented that there has been a suggestion that Ivins City didn't actually authorize the reservoir and he referred to Dale Coulam and Bryan Pack for their counsel on that and if there will be another application come forward to the City Council. Bryan Pack indicated that a Resolution was passed in 2021 by Ivins City, requesting that the Water Conservancy District acquire the land to build the reservoir. The Water Conservancy District will have to come in to the City with an application for a Class V Conditional Use Permit to address any adverse impacts. If there are adverse impacts that cannot be mitigated then the Council could potentially say no but if there are reasonable ways to mitigate any adverse impacts then the Council cannot say no. Regarding zoning, a zone change is not required. Council Member Anderson inquired if there was any monetary obligation to the City? Bryan Pack stated no. The Mayor and City Council discussed the suggestion of dredging Gunlock Reservoir to increase that reservoirs capacity and agreed that needed to be looked into. The Water Conservancy District intends to build Graveyard Wash reservoir first and if that occurs, it would be 10 years before the District would look to Dry Wash reservoir. Council Member Anderson referred to the Water Conservancy Districts meetings and inquired if those were public? Mayor Hart indicated that those are public meetings and open to comment at the end of the meeting.