Monroe review of water master plan flags neighborhoods that can’t be served without new tank

Monroe City leaders were told Tuesday that the city’s existing water system will struggle to serve projected growth unless the city builds a roughly 1,000,000-gallon storage tank and replaces aging distribution lines.

Parker Vercimak of Jones and DeMille Engineering presented Monroe’s 2023 Culinary Water Master Plan and an updated hydraulic growth model. Vercimak said Monroe holds “strong water rights overall,” including about 7.5 cubic feet per second (CFS) from Monroe Creek for irrigation, 1 CFS tied to the existing well, and 3 CFS attributed to Cold Spring, though the city currently can access less than one-sixth of the Cold Spring right. He said a planned new well, contingent on USDA funding, would consolidate well and Cold Spring rights and would “unlock” the full benefit of the Cold Spring allocation, increasing available supply.

The engineer said current storage stands at about 875,000 gallons and recommended the city plan for an additional roughly 1,000,000-gallon tank within three to five years, sited at higher elevation to create an upper pressure zone and address low-pressure complaints on the upper east side of town. Vercimak also recommended installing pressure-reducing valves as part of those changes.

On distribution, Vercimak said the city has about 20,000 linear feet of pipe that should be considered for replacement within three to five years (some replacements could be deferred to a ten-year plan). He urged replacing aging mains on Main Street and Canyon Road prior to resurfacing projects.

A hydraulic growth model presented to the council projected a 2.78% annual growth rate over 20 years—roughly 600 new homes—and mapped areas where the existing system could not reliably deliver required pressure. Vercimak identified a yellow zone where he recommended no new development be approved until a new upper tank is built, and a red zone he described as unserviceable under current conditions.

Councilmember Michael Mathie asked whether the city is legally required to provide service to lots that already have approvals but sit inside the mapped red zone. Vercimak said that question should be resolved with the city attorney because if lots are approved the city may be obligated to provide service, potentially creating liability if the system can’t deliver required pressure.

Councilmembers discussed requiring developers to fund a hydraulic-model update—estimated at about $1,000–$1,500—as a condition of subdivision approvals, an approach Vercimak said other Utah jurisdictions have used. Mayor Johnny Parsons said he had signed the required documents for the pending USDA well project but had not received further action from USDA leadership; councilmembers asked him to contact state and federal representatives to help advance the application.

What happens next: Council directed staff to gather legal guidance on obligations to serve already-approved lots and to consider options for conditioning development approvals on updated hydraulic modeling and infrastructure contributions. No formal restrictions on new development were adopted at the meeting.