Central Utah Water outlines multi‑hundred‑million dollar projects, proposes small tax increase for Utah County homeowners

Gene Schockroft, general manager of the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, told the Utah County Commission on July 1 that the district is planning multiple large capital projects and seeking a truth‑in‑taxation adjustment that would increase the typical Utah County homeowner’s property‑tax contribution to the district by about $6.27 per year.

Schockroft said the district, created in 1964 as the local sponsor of the federal Central Utah Project, operates roughly $4 billion in infrastructure, including eight dams and about 1.6 million acre‑feet of storage across its reservoirs. He described a set of planned and ongoing projects that the district expects will require significant capital funding over the next several years.

The projects Schockroft highlighted include a planned relocation of part of the Alpine Aqueduct to avoid an active landslide and fault crossings (a project he estimated at about $100 million); a manganese‑removal “polishing” plant to improve water clarity for North Utah County service areas (also about $100 million); and a plan to enclose and upgrade the High Line Canal and build a new treatment plant to serve fast‑growing South Utah County and parts of Juab County (Schockroft said the canal enclosure is about $300 million and the full project would exceed $1 billion).

“Some of those facilities are 50-plus years old,” Schockroft said. “We’re still building some pipeline… and we’ll continue to do that for a number of years.” He described the district’s responsibilities beyond water delivery — flood control, instream flows for fish habitat, watershed protection and hydroelectric generation — and noted that roughly 68% of the district’s budget goes to construction and 14% to debt service.

On revenues, Schockroft said about 30% of district revenue comes from property tax, roughly 17% from sale of water, with federal contributions and fund balance making up other sources. He said the difference between the district’s certified rate and its authorized rate amounts to roughly $6.4 million across the entire district; if the board pursues the authorized limit via truth‑in‑taxation, the illustrative effect in Utah County would raise a homeowner with a $570,000 house from $119.13 per year to $125.40 per year — a $6.27 increase (about 5.3%), or roughly $0.52 per month.

Schockroft said the district is holding multiple public hearings on the truth‑in‑taxation proposal: Aug. 25 in Roosevelt, Aug. 26 at the district’s Orem office and a final hearing Aug. 27 before the board meeting.

Commissioner Beltran asked whether Juab County currently contributes property tax to the district; Schockroft replied that Juab County has contributed since 1964 and that the new south‑county facility would deliver treated water to Juab when constructed.

The presentation included project details and maps showing how treated water could be carried south into Nephi and Moab area service points, and Schockroft said district trustees and staff will continue public outreach as planning and funding decisions proceed.

Schockroft and the commission did not take a formal vote during the presentation; the district’s board will consider the truth‑in‑taxation decision after the noticed public hearings.