Ephraim City loses 1M gallons of water,

asks citizens to stop watering lawns

By Suzanne Dean

Publisher

6-25-2018

EPHRAIM—Ephraim City is asking businesses and residents to stop watering lawns until further notice following a water main break over the weekend the caused the loss of at least 1 million gallons.

Chad Parry, public works director, said he would “know more tomorrow” about when normal water use could resume.

Parry said the break occurred in a pressurized pipe running from springs in Ephraim Canyon (the city’s primary water source), through two of the city hydroelectric plants, and into a complex of seven city water tanks.

All of the tanks, including 1.5-million-gallon underground tank completed in 2011, so the water loss could affect levels in all the tanks.

Parry said a pressure gauge in one of the hydro plant had registered low water pressure for a few weeks. But workers thought the drop might be occurring because the sparse snowpack was reducing water output from the springs.

Then on Saturday, about 10 a.m., Parry got a report of a complete break in the pressurized line, which is designed to carry 900 gallons of water per square inch. Water was gushing out of the broken pipe and flowing down the mountainside.

Repairs were completed about 2 p.m. on Monday.

Based on the observations at the hydro plant, Parry believes the pipe had been leaking for some time before it broke completely.

“We’re hoping this (repair of the pipe) is going to help our water situation,” he said.