Cedar City considers $13–17 million West Side project to lower system pressure and meet state chlorination order

Cedar City officials and outside consultants presented a phased plan on Thursday to lower unusually high pressures in the city’s western transmission system, meet a Utah Division of Drinking Water order to chlorinate all sources and create redundancy by connecting to Central Iron County Water Conservancy District.

Consultant Steve Jones of Hansen, Allen & Luce told the council that “Cedar City is under order from the Utah division of drinking water to treat all sources,” and that the state can enforce compliance “with fines.” Jones said the city’s unusually high distribution pressures — which consultants said spike to about 375 pounds per square inch in some locations — make it difficult to install a conventional chlorination system and to interconnect with neighboring systems.

The consultants presented three phasing options. The most complete option (phase 3) — equipping the Quichapa wells, connecting Cedar City’s pipeline to Central Iron at the junction near Iron Springs (the “Y”), building two pump stations and constructing an 800 South buried concrete tank — was estimated at about $17 million. A smaller initial build that omits the 800 South tank was estimated at about $13 million up front, with the tank as a later add of…