Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Price City schedules interagency briefing as aging transmission lines spur rate and funding talks
Summary
City leaders say Price City relies on century-old transmission lines and will host state and federal water agencies to discuss repairs, funding and study needs; officials flagged possible rate increases and a $50 million reservoir grant pursuit.
Mayor Mike said Price City is fully dependent on springs routed through transmission lines built about a century ago and urged the council to attend an interagency briefing on the 20th that will include the state rural water representatives, the Division of Drinking Water and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Our water lines are a huge concern for us,” Mayor Mike said, describing visible corrosion and the lack of cathodic protection on segments of line installed in the 1920s.
City staff told the council they expect a multi-agency review of transmission-line and treatment-plant needs and that the Division of Drinking Water will require additional feasibility work before grant funding can be awarded. “We won’t get any water money from the drinking water board until we address that issue,” a staff member involved in the study said.
Why it matters: Council members said a failure of the transmission system could interrupt the city’s water supply to residents. Officials discussed tradeoffs between pursuing federal grant money — which can trigger lengthy environmental reviews — and seeking local bonds or loans that would allow the city to begin construction sooner.
Details discussed - Agencies invited: Utah Rural Water, the Division of Drinking Water, the USDA and at least one other state or federal partner will present at the briefing the council set for the 20th. - Condition and scope: Staff described sections of transmission main with visible corrosion and no cathodic protection; the lines were installed in roughly the 1920s. - Funding and timing: Officials said pursuing federal funding could require additional environmental reviews; that consideration is one reason the city is weighing bonds or loans that would let work begin in spring without those federal timelines. - Rates and cost-sharing: City leaders said water rates are likely to rise to help pay for repairs and to recoup the cost of water the city currently sells at low cost to neighboring providers. Staff said an MOU was being prepared to clarify costs for water shared with neighboring utilities. - Reservoir grant: The council was told that the city is preparing a support letter for a $50 million grant tied to the Oldridge/Olson reservoir project; the city has collected supportive letters from state lawmakers, and staff expects additional letters from federal officials.
Next steps City staff will present technical photos and a plan to the council at the interagency briefing so council members can review repair options and funding pathways. Staff said they will also return to the council with a request for study funds and possible spring construction options if local financing is chosen.
Attribution and scope Statements in this article come from remarks recorded in the meeting transcript by Mayor Mike and city staff. Where staff or agencies were described but no specific speaker name was recorded, the article attributes those notes to city staff or to the agencies named by council members.
