RANDOLPH, Utah November 6, 2017, Terry Allen, Bear Lake Water Board, Ken Hull,
Sweetwater Hillside HOA, Riley Argyle, Garden City and Scott Archibald, Sunrise
Engineering, told the County Commission that it was necessary to have a county
wide ordinance to protect the areas around wells. Source protection Zone 2 is required when a
new municipal well is drilled. The Bear
Lake Water Board, Laketown and Garden City will be drilling wells this summer.
Archibald explained that Zone 2 is 250 days of travel for
one drop of water. There should not be
septic tanks, commercial use of herbicides, pesticide storage or fuel storage
in that area. There should be no big commercial
usage in these zones. Engineers can
model topography of the soil to see how wide the zone should be.
Right now if a new
municipal well is planned, 100% of
property owners in that zone must sign off on it, which is impossible as many
people have moved without leaving contact information.
However if the county declares a county wide zone then it
protects it without having all the signatures and it expedites the
process. Building inspectors know the
rules for septic tanks I Zone 2 when it is a county wide ordinance.
In 1999 all water source ordinances for public water systems
were put into place, but Rich County doesn’t have a water source protection
ordinance. Commissioner Bill Cox said
they have talked with other counties, Box Elder County recommends having the
property owners sign off perhaps not at 100%.
Archibald said that there should be language put in the ordinance
for the public system to work with
existing property owners and have new property owners notified that they are in
a zone two.
Allen said “It would not be a great cost to new home owners,
it will not be a big issue now but as Sweetwater and Laketown build out it will
become a priority. It is a tough issue,
because the way we are now is that 100% have to sign and there are just some
people who won’t sign and then we cannot build a well and provide water to the
citizens.”
Commissioner Tom Weston said the county attorney would be
asked to move forward with creating an ordinance for a Zone 2. Cox will discuss it with the Utah Division of
Drinking Water and the Bear River Health Department.
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