Orangeville council hears public concerns over proposed secondary-water metering ordinance

Orangeville city officials on April 16 presented a proposed ordinance that would require property owners with parcels larger than one-half acre to install meters on secondary (irrigation) water connections, monitor monthly usage and subject violations to enforcement under the city code.

The ordinance text was read into the record by a staff member, who said the measure would amend chapters of the Orangeville City Code and enact Chapter 9-3-6 to authorize metering and related enforcement while citing state statutory procedural requirements. The staff member also noted severability and directed staff to complete procedural steps required under Utah Code for posting and finalization.

Why it matters: The city is responding to repeated overages in the secondary irrigation allocation and wants to measure and prevent waste and misuse. During the public hearing residents and council members repeatedly cited a reported 176 acre-feet overage last year and questioned how entitlements and leased shares affect the city’s water budget. One attendee put the city’s owned water shares at 904, while the allocation discussed in the hearing was 1,200 shares.

Residents pressed the council on cost and timing. “I’ve called and got different prices. So anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000,” said a staff speaker summarizing installation estimates for meters. Another participant pointed to a district example of a meter costing about $600 and added the installed price could be about $1,000. A public commenter also said, “There is an ARPA grant out there that has $250,000,000 in it that we can all apply for to get funds to pay for those,” as one funding option discussed for offsetting installation costs.

Several attendees asked how a meter would be translated into an entitlement and whether the city would use historical transfers to determine how many shares a property is entitled to receive. Council members said staff would audit transfer records (discussed back to 1982, when the piping was installed) to determine which properties had donated or transferred shares and to assign metered entitlements accordingly.

Recognizing practical limits for this season, the council’s presiding member proposed a short-term workaround: residents with larger parcels would report their sprinkler or riser schedules so the city could estimate usage until meters could be installed. “That’s the only fair way that I can see that we can do it this year without having to get new meters in this year,” the Chair said, describing the plan to have residents declare watering times and for staff to count sprinklers for a seasonal estimate.

Speakers also warned enforcement could include shut-offs or citations if proof of unauthorized watering is provided: council staff said the city would need evidence before issuing penalties and that staff would follow up on reported violations. Council members noted the state appears to require secondary connections statewide to be metered by Jan. 1, 2030, and discussed pursuing available grant funding and state waivers for small connections.

At the close of the hearing, a council member identified in the record as Kevin moved to end the public hearing and open the regular session; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The council directed staff to continue the records review, explore funding options for meters, and report back as the ordinance proceeds through the council process.

What’s next: The ordinance remains under consideration. Staff will audit historical transfers to determine entitlement baselines, continue to pursue funding options for meter installation, and implement the temporary reporting procedure for this irrigation season while meter procurement and installation are addressed.