By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
A lot of culinary water sources have been lost over
the years due to surface and ground contamination.
The best way to protect water sources is to have a
source protection plan in place.
Curtis Ludvigson and Bob Lowe, representing the Rural
Water Association Division of Drinking Water, met with Juab
County Commissioners to discuss the need for such plans.
"In Utah, culinary water sources are usually affected
by water flow from the mountains," said Lowe.
And while a new water source could be upwards of
$500,000 to develop it was more than possible to protect a
source for little expense. Even if it cost $5,000 to protect
a source, it would be a judicious step to take.
There were also steps to be taken, in addition to
ordinances and zoning restrictions, which would protect a
primary water source.
"It is wise to have an inventory list of places in an
area that might need protection and others that might
represent a potential hazard," said Lowe.
However, the tools needed to protect water sources are
usually accomplished by creating zoning and ordinances to
protect the water.
"You commissioners wouldn't do anything unless a
community came to you and made a request," Lowe said. "The
program is here."
Nevertheless, Lowe and Ludvigson passed out copies of
a sample ordinance which could be used as a tool for
protecting water sources.
Robert Steele, commissioner, said that Nephi had some
strong ordinances in place to protect water sources.
The way the county would assist in that protection
would be in regulating through county ordinance the growth
allowed in Salt Creek Canyon in the area of the culinary
springs and in other areas where there are wells.
Allowing summer homes and septic systems to be built
over the springs in Salt Creek Canyon could pose a possible
problem. Ordinances would prevent the problems from
occurring.
A well in Sugar House in Salt Lake City had
historically been a high producer of quality drinking water
but the source was contaminated by a chemical used in the
dry cleaning business. Cleaning the well so that the water
could be recovered was so expensive that the many thousands
of gallons of water which used to flow from the well had
been effectively cut off.
"Mapleton's water was contaminated with nitrate," said
Lowe. The contamination occurred when a liner used to keep
chemicals at the fireworks and explosives plant at the mouth
of the canyon developed a leak.
Sevier Town, south of Joseph, had a contaminated water
source when Ecoli bacteria infected the water after coming
into the system from a failed septic system.
Weber River has also been contaminated, said Lowe.
Kennecott wells are being contaminated and not by the
company's work but by outside projects.
Those who live above a ground water source, such as an
aquifer from which well water is pumped, need to learn a
cardinal rule: Don't dump chemicals on the ground.
Part of the role of government was to educate water
users which was everyone who took a drink.
Lowe said there were approximately 30 areas in the
state where there was not a source protection plan in place
and one of those was Juab County.
The county might want to consider an ordinance to
protect water sources for communities, especially those
which were located in the county.
"We will serve as a resource for you and we will help
you work out the details," said Lowe.
|
