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Residents urge water review as council approves subdivisions amid severe drought concerns
Summary
Public commenters and council members clashed over recent subdivision approvals as residents urged an independent water-engineering review and a temporary moratorium amid reports of severe regional drought and hundreds of dry wells; council did not impose a moratorium at the Feb. 5 meeting.
Public commenters at Spring City’s Feb. 5 council meeting urged a halt to new subdivision approvals and called for an independent review of the city’s culinary and irrigation water supplies amid what they described as an exceptional regional drought.
“Four new subdivisions were recently approved despite ongoing litigation and severe drought conditions,” Cerola Calderwood told the council, citing media reports that the region may be facing the worst drought in 100 years and saying, “we need an independent water engineer” before approving further growth.
Why it matters: Residents said decisions about development affect long-term water availability for existing homes and farms. Several speakers warned that neighboring jurisdictions and deeper-well drilling in Sanpete County — where residents have reportedly drilled hundreds of feet deeper after wells went dry — indicate significant regional stress on groundwater resources.
During public comment, irrigation-company president Randy Strate provided a fact sheet he asked be added to the record and emphasized a distinction between culinary and secondary water, saying the city is “obligated, and fully able, to provide culinary water connections to all lots within city limits.” Strate also urged that lot-size decisions be founded on factual engineering data rather than emotion.
Council response and next steps: Council members acknowledged the concerns but did not adopt a temporary moratorium at the meeting. Council Member Marty McCain and Mayor Paul Penrod said procedural and code questions about Planning & Zoning appointments and subdivision approval processes needed work but stopped short of changing approvals already in motion. McCain said Planning & Zoning had authorized preliminary engineering for at least one proposed subdivision and that deeds and right-of-way questions were still being resolved.
What was not decided: No independent water-engineering study was authorized during the meeting and the council did not place new subdivisions on hold. Mayor Penrod said he would follow up on legal and procedural questions raised by residents.
Context: Several residents and Council members noted that developers have at times not completed required roadwork or infrastructure and that impact fees may not cover full long-term costs. Public commenters suggested improved neighbor notification procedures and stricter permit enforcement when variances or private roads are proposed.
The meeting record: The council accepted written fact sheets submitted by an irrigation representative into the public record and scheduled follow-up work meetings to examine Planning & Zoning appointments, road and subdivision concerns, and future ordinance drafting.
