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Sunrise study outlines multi‑million‑dollar options to shore up Mona's pressurized irrigation system
Summary
A Sunrise presentation to Mona City Council laid out phased alternatives — reuse water, a new upper pond fed from the Barnes well, booster pumps, or city distribution lines — with costs ranging from about $340,000 for a single pipe to $26 million for full system replacement plus upper zone expansion.
Sunrise representatives briefed the Mona City Council on Nov. 18 on options to improve the town's pressurized irrigation system, which they said currently struggles to deliver adequate pressure east of roughly 400 East.
The consultant summarized several alternatives: a two‑zone approach dividing the system into an upper and lower zone; creating an upper pond sourced from the Barnes well or tank overflow; adding booster pumps; or installing new city distribution lines or an entirely new irrigation system. "The irrigation system is a bit strapped for demand," Sunrise said, adding that areas east of about 400 East "struggle[] getting pressure."
Why it matters: Council members heard that the town must balance cost, ownership and operational complexity. Sunrise described a phased, "cafeteria‑style" approach that would let the city combine elements (for example, begin with reuse and later add upper‑zone improvements) rather than build everything at once.
Key figures and tradeoffs: Sunrise provided order‑of‑magnitude estimates: a lower‑zone reuse project (pump house, piping, valves, metering) about $1.2 million; an upper‑zone package including purchase of the Barnes well and a pond about $2.6 million; a single pipe from the well to the pond roughly $340,000; installing new city distribution lines about $11 million; replacing the entire existing irrigation system about $21 million; and replacing the system plus adding the upper zone about $26 million. Sunrise also said reuse piping could add up to about "240 gallons a minute year‑round" under permit assumptions, while well capacity and water rights will ultimately limit culinary‑to‑irrigation conversions.
Funding paths: Council discussed grant and loan options. Sunrise and council members noted Water Smart grants may favor reuse projects and could cover a substantial share; WIFIA and SRF loans were mentioned but are competitive. Staff said the city's funding specialist is consulting with the Division of Drinking Water to explore combinations of state and federal programs and matching strategies. "As long as the application is phrased correctly, I think you could get something going," the consultant said.
Next steps: Sunrise offered to return for follow‑up work sessions and to support grant framing. Council members pressed staff to pursue grant avenues while weighing phased approaches to limit near‑term borrowing and spread costs over future development.
