Parowan reviews water‑rate proposal and readies education, enforcement as drought limits irrigation
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Summary
City consultants recommended uniform water‑rate increases over the next five years to meet target funding; council and staff outlined a public education campaign and a graduated enforcement plan for pressurized irrigation amid low runoff and limited system storage.
Parowan City Council heard a rate‑study update and a detailed briefing on this year’s pressurized irrigation (PI) season as officials prepare for a potentially short runoff.
Aaron, the consultant from Bowen Collins & Associates, told the council the firm recommends keeping the city’s existing rate structure and applying uniform revenue increases to reach a target funding level. The plan his slides showed calls for an approximate 12% revenue increase in fiscal years 2027 and 2028 (reflected in the model as roughly 10.2% rate increases in each of those years), followed by smaller increases in subsequent years. Aaron said a typical single‑family customer should expect average monthly bills to rise about $2–$3 if they are a low water user and about $6–$7 if they are a higher user.
The recommendation preserves the city’s conservation‑oriented tiered structure and accounts for modest system growth; Aaron offered to circulate a draft report for council review and to return for action if directed.
Why it matters: Councilmembers and staff framed the rate discussion as necessary to fund capital needs and ongoing operations that are not covered by impact fees, including fire‑flow improvements, pump and well maintenance and replacement, and other system rehab identified in the master plan. Without additional rate revenue, staff said it will be difficult to fund these priorities.
Following the rate presentation, staff and council turned to the city’s pressurized irrigation season, which staff said is unusually uncertain because the PI system depends on short‑term forebay storage and releases from the Yankee reservoir and local farmers. Staff recommended a three‑part approach: clear public education about existing two‑day watering rules, stepped enforcement beginning with text reminders (using the Yopify tool) and escalating to door hangers and ordinance enforcement if needed, and daily monitoring of forebay levels with a simple green/yellow/red trigger to guide whether the city should move to a one‑day‑per‑week schedule.
City staff emphasized the PI system has only days, not months, of storage at the forebay; if the pond is drawn down faster than inflow, the city may have to slow or suspend irrigation. Multiple councilmembers and residents urged balancing farmer and municipal needs, noted the system’s technical limits, and pressed staff to use education first but keep enforcement tools available.
Quotes: "If you're a low water user, you might expect to see your average monthly bill go up by $2 to $3. If you're a higher water user, you might expect your bill to go up by $6 to $7 a month," Aaron said. City staff added that the proposed increases are driven by needed infrastructure work and inflation rather than growth alone.
What’s next: Staff will circulate the draft rate analysis for review; council indicated the study should move to the action agenda in a subsequent meeting if members are satisfied after review. Staff will also move forward with the PI education and graduated‑enforcement plan this season and report back to council with any recommended triggers or an action item if the city needs to change the watering schedule.
