Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public utilities outline redundancy, reservoirs and helicopter dipping plans for firefighting
Summary
Public Utilities leaders described water-system redundancy (multiple reservoirs and pressure zones), placement of temporary "pumpkins" and permanent tanks to support helicopter dipping, and coordination with fire and federal partners to maintain firefighting capacity in the foothills.
Deputy Director Jesse Seward told residents that public utilities is a principal landowner in the foothills and that protecting water infrastructure (treatment plants and tanks) is essential to fire suppression.
"We own the City Creek Water Treatment Plant... those tanks supply water for all your homes," Seward said, adding that the city maintains redundancy through multiple supply sources and reservoirs (Red Butte Reservoir, Little Valley Reservoir) and a network of pressure zones. He said the city is placing inflatable "pumpkins" for helicopter dipping at Morris Meadows and in coordination with the US Forest Service is maintaining concrete tanks for dipping in other canyons.
Seward warned that if many residents run sprinklers simultaneously during an incident, system pressure could fall in places, but the department works with fire to revalve and optimize pressure. He said staff prioritize keeping tanks at fire-flow levels and can route water through multiple interconnections to support suppression.
