Cedar City directs staff to pursue chlorination and spring filtration design after state orders

Cedar City Council on Wednesday directed city staff to begin engineering and procurement steps to meet state orders requiring chlorination of the city's drinking water and to pursue a filtration option for springs in Cedar Canyon.

Jonathan (city staff) told the council the Utah Division of Drinking Water has issued a stipulated order that requires chlorinating the entire culinary system and set two deadlines: install a temporary chlorination capability at the Cross Hollow tank by March 1, 2026, and complete engineering design for full-system chlorination by Nov. 1, 2026. Jonathan said the city has ordered equipment for the temporary chlorination work and plans to meet the March 1 deadline.

"The state has mandated that the whole drinking water system needs to be chlorinated," Jonathan said, describing the background and the amended order. Water department director Matt Baker confirmed the temporary chlorinator materials are arriving and staff are scheduling installation: "Yes. The billing will delivered to be delivered Monday. We got everything but the pump for the chlorinator and the injection quill. Once that comes in, we'll start putting that in." (paraphrased for clarity)

Why the council acted: the Utah Division of Drinking Water also informed the city it will soon issue a separate order concerning the Cedar Canyon springs, which regulators consider under the direct influence of surface water and therefore subject to additional treatment requirements. Staff presented a design concept for a filtration/treatment plant sited near the springs' confluence and described options that range from modular filter systems to a larger plant designed to handle up to 2,000 gallons per minute should the Martin's Flat well drilling results justify expansion.

Costs and schedule: preliminary cost estimates presented to the council varied widely. A prior planning estimate of about $17.3 million was contrasted with an Ensign review of roughly $10.3 million (which excluded some re-equipping and tank options). Council members asked staff to seek full engineering proposals and to issue an RFP to qualified water engineering firms so the city can arrive at a firm, itemized cost and schedule. Council consensus favored moving forward with engineering on a modular basis so the plant can be sized later depending on Martin's Flat drilling results.

Operational concerns and technical issues: engineers and an independent environmental scientist warned the council that adding chlorine and other treatment would change water chemistry and could require additional rehabilitation of wells and distribution assets; staff said the RFP will require firms to evaluate water-quality impacts and mitigations so the design meets state drinking-water standards under chlorination.

Next steps: staff will proceed with the temporary chlorination installation at Cross Hollow to meet the March 1 milestone, issue an RFP for engineering services for both full-system chlorination and the springs filtration plant, and return to council with firm cost estimates and recommended contracts. The council asked for continued updates as drilling and design work progress.

The city did not adopt a final funding plan at the meeting; council members discussed budget sources and bond possibilities and asked staff to identify funding options when they return with engineering proposals.