Water Loss Rocks Eagle Mountain

By Jens Dana Deseret Morning News

Upset Eagle Mountain residents expressed frustration over the city’s broken water well Tuesday as the City Council issued a modified water conservation plan.

Eagle Mountain City Manager John Hendrickson said city well No. 2, which broke on Friday, won’t be fixed for another two to four weeks. During that time, he recommends residents adhere to a schedule that limits the use of water.

The three main water wells in Eagle Mountain pump about 7.7 million gallons of water per day, Hendrickson said. The No. 2 line is the source of 40 percent of that capacity. If residents follow the plan, the city can rely on the other two pumps until the break is fixed.

“We feel that the schedule give us enough flexibility that we can refill the (water tank) each day,” he said.

The water conservation plan, approved by the City Council, only allows residential watering twice a week for no more than 20 minutes per day. Residents in the City Center area will be allowed to water on Mondays and Thursdays between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.; residents in the Ranches area on Tuesday and Fridays between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. The conservation plan also bans outdoor water use for anything other than lawns and landscaping.

“Don’t wash your car,” Hendrickson said. “Take it to a car wash in Saratoga Springs.”

More than 50 residents attended the council meeting, most concerned about the major mechanical failure in the water well. John Painter said the incident gives the appearance of poor management of “a major essential service to residents.”

“This is the third year that water rationing has occurred,” he said. “and some homes actually went completely without water.”

Painter also said many residents feel city officials may be attempting to downplay a severe lack of planning and management.

Mayor Don Richardson said the city is actively working to expand the city’s water system. A 600,000 gallon tank is under construction, and the city plans to expand another water line and plans to add a reuse line using sewer water to water the city parks.

“We’re not sitting idly,” he said. “We’re working on it.”

Repair crews are uncertain how well No. 2 broke, but Hendricks said he’s sure the drive shaft snapped because there’s no noticeable problem with the motor.

“The motor is fine,” he said. “But there’s no water coming out.”

Blake Webb, city water foreman, said the well was designed to be lubricated by water.

“Other engineers have told us that’s not a good thing to do,” he said.

When water stopped lubricating the well’s mechanical parts, the drive shaft snapped, he said. Webb didn’t find out what happened until residents called him around 6 a.m., saying they had no water.

Councilwoman Linn Strouse said she hopes city officials learn from the incident she dubs Eagle Mountain’s “first major crisis.”

“If we’re going to keep growing at the rate we’re growing, I’m hoping this is going to be a wake-up call,” she said.

Resident Brent Nielsen said he was assured there would be enough water when he moved to the new city. Now he’s concerned the city is growing faster than what it can accommodate.

“Why are we exploding when we need to implode and take care of the people who are already here?” he asked.

E-mail: jdana@desnews.com

(c) 2007 Deseret News (Salt Lake City). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.