Cedar City Council pauses termination of effluent lease as water plans advance

Cedar City council members spent the bulk of their Feb. 14 action meeting on near-term water strategy, hearing consultant recommendations to deepen wells at Martin’s Flat, updates on test-well permits, and a series of policy choices about pipelines and reuse of treated wastewater.

Mayor (Speaker 1) told the council that consultants from Hansen Allen & Lelouch recommended Martin’s Flat as “the premier place to take water out of Cedar Canyon” and advised drilling deeper into the Navajo sandstone to determine yield, noting engineers recommended drilling “2,200 feet” if the city proceeds with exploration. The mayor said the consultants will present a coordinated model of well sites, spring flows and proposed pipeline options at an upcoming retreat.

Councilmembers discussed procedural timing and regulatory risk. One councilmember reported contacting the Division of Water, which “confirmed … there is no depth restriction of 200 feet,” and another noted the official protest period for the water-right application ends March 12, recommending the council wait for that date and the consultants’ full modeling report before authorizing major commitments.

Permits for surface test wells were reported as approved for two North-End sites; staff said drillers were mobilizing to build a pad in the coming days. Councilmembers asked staff to place a drilling decision on the agenda for a future meeting rather than make an informal decision tonight.

The council also considered how to pay for a related distribution project: the 3900 West waterline tied to Magnolia Fields subdivision. Staff outlined three options — amend the current impact-fee study quickly to include the south leg, include the work in the next impact-fee study due in May, or pursue a regional reimbursement agreement. Cost estimates discussed ranged from roughly $400,000 (tie-in to the north route) to about $1.1 million (south route requiring boring under the railroad/highway). Staff was directed to prepare a quick amendment and a proposal for a reimbursement area to present back to council.

On wastewater reuse, the council held a public hearing and lengthy deliberation about whether to terminate the city’s effluent lease with Clark Land & Livestock so treated wastewater could be used for other city needs. Speakers from the public and several councilmembers urged caution: the city’s planned reuse infrastructure, necessary easements, interagency coordination with the Conservancy District and neighboring Enoch, and available funding timelines remained unsettled. Mayor and staff outlined that reuse would require engineering, easements and possible changes to existing agreements.

After discussion, Councilman (Speaker 2) moved to deny providing notice to Clark Land & Livestock to terminate the effluent lease at this time; the motion was seconded and approved. Council members framed the vote as preserving operational continuity while staff and partner agencies finalize the technical and legal elements needed to bring reclaimed water into the city system when practical.

What’s next: staff will continue interagency talks with the Conservancy District and others about easements, timing and funding and will return to the council with proposals on drilling authorization, impact-fee amendments for the 3900 West line, and the operational requirements for using reclaimed effluent.

Provenance: discussion and motions spanning the mayor’s Martin’s Flat update through council action on the effluent lease (see meeting timeline entries starting SEG 182 through SEG 3100).