Planning commission recommends dropping secondary-water requirement for new subdivisions

The Ivins City Planning Commission voted to recommend that the city council amend the city’s subdivision ordinance to remove the requirement that developers install secondary water systems on new subdivisions.

The recommendation, made during a public hearing on the ordinance change, follows a change in the Conservancy District’s water-management strategy and staff estimates that building the delivery infrastructure to support secondary systems would cost the city “tens of millions of dollars,” Mr. Haycock said.

The commission opened the public hearing to hear from residents. Resident Wayne Pennington told the commission he has studied secondary and recycled water systems and said he supports the change "I fully support this move that you're planning. I think that secondary water systems require far more plumbing than is needed. It's far too expensive to put them in...the move to having fully processed, fully recycled water is the way we should be going," Pennington said. Lisa Gann, calling in by phone, said she wanted more information on costs and potential unintended consequences: "I'm just trying to better understand...what it costs the developer to install initially...and what's the cost to the buyer."

City staff said many subdivisions already have secondary-water lines stubbed in but there is no complete delivery network to serve them. "The cost to create the overall delivery system of the secondary water...is in the tens of millions of dollars," Mr. Haycock told the commission, adding that the Conservancy District is shifting to processing and delivering culinary (potable) water rather than providing secondary irrigation water.

Commissioner Clifford described operational problems with legacy secondary systems, saying systems that are shut off for winter can carry sediment that clogs sprinklers when restarted and that the water is "not refined water" but rather "lake water, basically." Commissioners and staff said those operational and delivery-cost issues, combined with the Conservancy District’s changed approach, supported removing the requirement for new development.

Commissioner [mover] moved that the commission recommend the amendment to the council; another commissioner seconded. The commission recorded unanimous support during roll-call: Commissioner Waite (via Zoom) and commissioners present voted in favor and the chair announced the motion carried. Mr. Haycock said the commission’s recommendation and the draft ordinance will go to the city council for its own public hearing; the council’s hearing is expected in about two weeks.

Votes at a glance - Recommend amendment to subdivision ordinance removing required secondary-water installations on new development — Moved and seconded; recorded votes in favor by the commissioners present; outcome: recommended to city council for consideration and public hearing. - Approval of planning commission meeting minutes (Feb. 18, 2025) — Moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. - Motion to adjourn — Moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Next steps: The commission’s recommendation and the draft ordinance will be transmitted to the Ivins City Council for a separate public hearing; staff indicated that hearing will occur at the council’s next available meeting cycle.