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City council report: Willard outlines water plan tied to subdivision ordinance
Summary
Commissioners heard a city council update describing a new water plan and subdivision ordinance changes that allocate existing city water for future development and require annexing areas to bring their own water.
The Willard City Planning Commission heard a report from a city council member summarizing changes to the subdivision ordinance and a recently completed water plan designed to manage limited municipal water supplies.
The council member said the city hired a water expert to inventory city water rights and historic usage and that staff allocated existing supply to parks, current uses and future development within city limits. "We're water limited," the council member said, explaining that the engineer's analysis showed an average current use of about 0.81 acre-feet (about 0.81 ERU) per home. The commission was told the ordinance allocates roughly one acre-foot per acre for new development but that developers who want higher density must bring additional water to the table.
The council member said the city cannot sell water rights and that new annexations will need to supply their own water; the existing city supply will be used only for parcels within current city limits. Commissioners asked whether the ordinance includes incentives for irrigation water owners to transfer secondary water rights to the city; staff and council discussion noted transfers are legally possible but depend on water-right law and other irrigation districts.
Commissioners heard that the city is pursuing property for a future secondary tank and already requires dry lines for secondary supply in subdivisions. Staff said developers have discussed coordination with Pine View and regional water conservancy districts, and that the economics of growth plus infrastructure investments are expected to influence future secondary systems.
No formal action was taken on the water plan at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to include clearer measurement language in future ordinance drafts and to brief the commission if and when property or infrastructure plans advance.
