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Levan council denies outside water-connection request, discusses water rights and irrigation changes
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Summary
The council denied a petition to provide water to a 12-lot subdivision outside town limits (offering 18 acre-feet of rights) and discussed using irrigation shares at the park, purchasing water rights, aquifer recharge options, and asking engineering firms for recommendations.
Levan’s Town Council unanimously denied a request Feb. 12 to extend town water service to a 12-lot subdivision outside municipal boundaries and discussed broader water-resource steps including park irrigation, buying water rights and potential recharge projects.
The applicants, listed in the packet as B. Gurr and J. Huggard, proposed providing the town 18 acre-feet of underground water rights in exchange for service; the packet estimated the rights’ value at $540,000. Council members raised concerns about precedent, maintenance responsibility, liability for service outside town limits and the inability to charge impact fees for out-of-town customers. Rachel Goates and other council members also noted peak-flow capacity and additional infrastructure needs as constraints.
Ray Evans moved to deny the application and to confirm that the town does not provide water outside city limits; the motion passed unanimously. The council discussed next steps for in-town water, noting 11 new homes were completed since the moratorium lifted and that Mayor Tyler Shepherd suggested the town should purchase additional water rights to serve properties within town.
Shay Morrison suggested the council invite Jones and DeMille engineering to present options that could include aquifer recharge projects, water purchases and potential funding from Community Impact Board grants or low-interest loans. On park irrigation, Mayor Shepherd proposed using the town’s nine irrigation shares to water turf while keeping the splash pad and bathrooms on culinary water; Ray Evans recommended tapping an existing 24-inch irrigation line in the park and installing a meter and connections. The council agreed to investigate costs and feasibility.
What was decided: The council denied outside-service requests and directed staff to evaluate in-town water strategies and engineering options for purchases or recharge projects. No vote was recorded to purchase water at this meeting.