WALES—The Wales Town Council has approved a six month moratorium on buildings that require water connections in an ongoing effort to conserve water.
The approval at the council meeting Tuesday, June 7 came after the town’s south well stopped producing. The north well that the town now depends on is not producing enough water to allow additional builds.
A new well has been drilled near the old south well. It successfully produced water and is in the process of testing. Once the testing is completed and the state has approved the well, the town can start distributing water from it.
Another way Wales is conserving water is by changing the land division ordinance. As of June 7, the ordinance states that land must be divided by one acre lots instead of half an acre. This will prevent new water connections on half acre lots, doubling the water supply per acre.
Current buildings with water connections on half acre lots will not be affected. Half acre lots can be sold and purchased, but new water connections will not be permitted for buildings on the lots.
“Were going back to the original intent of the developers by maintaining larger lots,” Kevin Washburn, town clerk, said. “It almost protects the country way of life.”
Keeping the town rural is the main method Wales is using to preserve water. Demands for water continue to rise as population and urban development increase in Sanpete County.
A private individual owns property just east of the new well with plans to subdivide. If such a subdivisions goes through, county regulations would require an additional well. Mayor Bryon Davis said such a well would need to be drilled near the new well, possibly taking water out of the same aquifer the new well relies on.
Wales is petitioning to the state against any well for a subdivision, claiming that there is a possibility of ruining the newly completed well. No final decisions have been made regarding the subdivision well.
An additional effort the town has made to conserve water is limiting watering days. The north and south side of the town water on alternate days, with neither side watering on Sunday.
The town is also in the process of removing trees along the more rural roads to get the roads up to regulation size. The removal will also save water by decreasing vegetation.
“We want to have is the public’s understanding of any situation that comes before us,” Davis said. “I hope you can see the need for the moratorium on water. We want everyone to be treated fairly, and we want everyone to treat us fairly too.”
