Fairview sharpens water conservation plan, tightens solar safety regulations

FAIRVIEW—Residents got a practical look at how the city is preparing for drought, expanding rooftop solar and maintaining power reliability during the Aug. 18 city council meeting.

A water conservation plan

Justin Jackson, Fairview’s water and sewer superintendent, told the council the city’s Water Conservation Plan is due for its required update with the Utah Division of Natural Resources. The timing is significant, he said, because Fairview has, “for one of the first times,” reached Stage Two of its water conservation plan.

Stage Two moves the city beyond general requests to conserve water and into formal restrictions and closer monitoring of water use.

Residents can expect stricter outdoor watering schedules, limits on high-use and nonessential watering, increased attention to properties with unusually high water consumption and early planning for more restrictive measures if conditions do not improve.

Jackson also said that when secondary irrigation supplies are limited, some residents turn to culinary water for lawns and landscaping, increasing demand on the city’s drinking water system.

To help residents monitor their consumption, the updated plan includes AquaTrack, a new water-use monitoring tool expected to launch in mid-September.

“That software will be available to anybody in the public that wants to sign up,” Jackson said. “It’ll have additional analytics for their water usage, and compare this year’s water usage to last year’s.”

The system also will allow the city to communicate directly with homeowners and automatically send notifications and real-time updates during water main breaks or shutoffs, Jackson said.

City water vs. Cottonwood Gooseberry Irrigation

The council also discussed the difference between Fairview’s culinary water system and Cottonwood Gooseberry Irrigation.

Brian Miller, representing Cottonwood Gooseberry Irrigation, said its canals and ponds serve farms and secondary residential watering and are separate from the city’s drinking water system.

During dry years, however, limited irrigation deliveries can cause some property owners to rely more heavily on culinary water for outdoor use, adding pressure to the city’s water supplies.

As part of planning for future shortages, Jackson outlined an emergency option involving a high-flow city well in the canyon. Historical records indicate the well once produced about 600 gallons per minute.

Jackson said the well could either be used to pump additional water into the irrigation system, reducing residents’ reliance on culinary water, or be fully upgraded and treated to meet modern drinking water standards and connected to the city’s system.

Either option would require upgrades and several months of advance work. Jackson said the council needs to consider the alternatives before another dry year arrives. The updated water conservation plan will return to the council for additional discussion and must be approved by resolution before becoming official policy.

Growing solar use prompts new safety ordinance

Later in the meeting, the council held a public hearing on a solar standards and permitting ordinance designed to keep rooftop solar installations safe and compatible with Fairview’s municipal power grid.

Council members and city staff said the growing number of residential solar installations is generally positive but requires clear standards to prevent problems with the electrical system.

The ordinance establishes permitting and inspection requirements and gives the city authority to inspect and, when necessary, disconnect noncompliant systems that pose a hazard to the public or city infrastructure.

The rules are intended to prevent solar installations from feeding power into the grid in unsafe ways that could damage transformers or other equipment.

Following the public hearing, the council unanimously approved the ordinance.

Power line upgrades along U.S. Highway 89

Residents traveling along U.S. Highway 89 have seen crews, equipment and new poles as part of a major transmission line upgrade reported to the council by Greg Sorenson of the Fairview Power Department.

A joint grant between Mt. Pleasant and Fairview is helping fund the project, which will benefit both cities.

“We cut a pretty big check to Mt. Pleasant,” Sorenson said, explaining that the payment covers engineering and easement work for the project.

The existing transmission line dates to the early 1960s and has aging wire, Sorenson said.

“The line was built in the early ’60s, and the wire is small and brittle,” Sorenson said. “We’ve done a lot of what we could do, but it’ll make our system a lot better if we have that in.”

City staff said residents may see large expenditures listed in council vouchers, but the infrastructure projects are being funded through existing Public Treasurers’ Investment Fund and capital improvement funds. Much of the cost is expected to be reimbursed over time.