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Residents ask Cornish planners to review canal piping after concerns about shallow well
Summary
At the March 19 Planning & Zoning meeting, residents including Nate Lott told planners that planned piping of a nearby canal could affect their shallow private well (under 25 feet) and asked about options for connecting to Cornish water. Staff said applications and state coordination are necessary.
Nate Lott, a Cornish resident, told the Planning and Zoning Commission on March 19 that his household and immediate neighbors rely on a shallow private well and that they recently learned a nearby irrigation canal is scheduled to be piped at the end of the season.
"We just got word that at the end of this season, they're gonna be piping off the canal," Lott said, adding that his well is "like, less than 25 feet deep." He said the change raised questions about both water quantity and possible contamination for his family, which includes young children.
Town staff reviewed the municipality's service-connection rules at the meeting. An unidentified planning staff member (S1) read the ordinance language aloud: "Any person who desires or is required to secure a new connection to the town's water system shall obtain approval from the planning and zoning" and also must secure council approval and execute a service agreement. The ordinance language, as read at the meeting, further says service connections are limited to parcels within Cornish Town limits and allow one residence per service connection.
Residents said most homes on their block are already on Cornish water but that their property remains on a private well because of a historical moratorium on hookups. One resident said they had obtained water rights from a prior owner; board members advised verifying whether those rights are classified as shallow-well rights and noted that drilling deeper can be costly.
At least one resident cited a Utah Division of Water Rights document indicating cities may be authorized by statute to sell surplus capacity outside municipal limits, but staff cautioned that local ordinance constraints and utility procedures would still apply. Staff advised residents they could pursue options such as annexation, petitioning for a service-area expansion, or seeking a variance or other administrative remedies, but emphasized those routes would require following town procedures.
Residents left written materials for staff and an application copy with Lauren (town staff). The board agreed to take the residents' information, follow up with relevant state water officials for technical guidance, and work with the residents to identify application options and next steps.
The Planning and Zoning Commission did not take any formal action on water policy at the meeting; staff said they would research the statutory and ordinance pathways and report back to the residents and the commission.
