Duchesne County water officials say the time has come for water districts on the county’s east side to move forward together in support of a proposed water pipeline project that would serve 70 to 80 percent of the water users in the county, and accommodate new growth for 40 years with a 100 year design life.

A funding package proposal for the $22 million Highway 40 pipeline project is in place and if turned down, won’t ever be seen again, Duchesne County Water Conservancy District manager Randy Crozier told a standing-only crowd packed into Roosevelt City Council chambers last Thursday for a public hearing.

“We are looking at rates and grants that normally are never there. You are looking at 50 percent in grant money,” Crozier said. “I don’t think you will find a better time to build this project. The bidding climate is the best it has been for a long time.”

The grant portion of the funding package is made possible through economic stimulus money given to state and federal water agencies. The remainder of the funding would come in the form of matching funds, money from Newfield Production, the Army Corp of Engineers, and no interest and low-interest loans to the Duchesne County Water Conservancy District.

“This is a funding package that is available and an opportunity that you will not be able to recreate, the money from the Army Corp of Engineers is there today to take and if you don’t take advantage of that, you don’t get another chance,” Crozier said.

Planning for the design of the pipeline have been underway for the past six years and has involved all of the water districts on the county’s east side: Roosevelt City, Myton City, Ballard, East Duchesne Culinary, Johnson Water, and Cedarview/Montwell.

The pipeline would take advantage of the new, $39.4 million Duchesne Valley Water Treatment Plant, which was funded entirely by the Central Utah Water Conservancy District as part of its capital improvement plans. The plant is expected to be completed by October 2010 and will increase the water output from Starvation Reservoir from 4 million gallons to 8 million gallons. The treatment plant was expanded with the intent to send the extra water it will produce through the Highway 40 pipeline to east Duchesne County, Crozier said.

Because the infrastructure that is presently in place can’t carry any more water, it will be up to the participating water districts to foot the bill for the new pipeline that will run from the treatment plant in Duchesne east to the outskirts of Roosevelt city near the airport road.

That revenue will come to the county’s water conservancy district through impact fees of between $1,700 to $2,000 levied on new construction, and a monthly $10 connection fee attached to water bills.

Mondi Taylor, a young mother who lives in the Cedarview/Montwell Water District, is excited about the chance to have a reliable, palatable source of culinary water in her community. Taylor has been working for a decade now to bring a water system to the area. She urged the county water conservancy district board to move forward with the water project.

“I would gladly pay another $2,000 to get water for me and my kids but we have to work together. To us this is very important,” Taylor said. Not everyone shared her enthusiasm.

Gayle Wall, a farmer living on a fixed-income said he may have to forgo medicine to control his diabetes if his water bill was raised by $10.

John Swasey, chairman of the East Duchesne Culinary Water District, questioned whether the Highway 40 pipeline project is necessary. Swasey went on record at the meeting stating that East Duchesne was “declining” any participation in the Highway 40 pipeline project.

“We (East Duchesne ) already have the highest rate of all water districts,” Swasey said, adding that he thinks “it’s a myth that we need this water.”

Johnson Water District manager Lanny Ross has the opposite opinion. He doesn’t want to lose the current funding package for a secure water source. Ross said the $10 a month increase on water bills should not be one of the reasons for deciding to forego the important water project.

“I can’t understand why anyone would fight against a project that will benefit entire east Duchesne County,” Ross said. “If we bite the bullet now it’s not going to break us.”

Ross said he understands the concerns of those on fixed incomes, but said it doesn’t make sense to scrap a project that would bring so many in the county a commodity as important as water.

Ballard Councilman Mark Reidhead voiced his council’s interest in participating in the pipeline project.

Roosevelt Mayor Russell Cowan said that while the city has some concerns with the project, he agreed that it is time to put aside any past disputes and work together with the reality that is facing the water users today.

The pipeline would be a tremendous advantage to Roosevelt by providing the city with a separate water supply coming from a different direction than their current culinary water source. It would provide the same advantage for Myton.

“We have an opportunity here today to address the future … if you don’t have a good solid water system available you are not going to get the growth,” said Cowan.

If Roosevelt, the largest water user within the project decides against signing on, there is no question that it would die, Crozier said.

Myton Mayor Kathleen Cooper said that her city would likely not need the water the pipeline would bring for decades.

“We would probably not be utilizing this line for well over 30 years,” she said, noting that because the majority of residents in Myton are low-income, any increase in water rates would be a burden.

“At this point we’re very concerned if we want to be involved,” Cooper said.

Cedarview/Montwell Water District Board member Lars Powell voiced frustration with the lack of commitment from other water districts. “Without this pipeline we just may as well throw in the towel,” Powell said. “We are between a rock and a hard place no matter where we go on this.”

Crozier said that even with East Duchesne Culinary Water District withdrawing from the Highway 40 pipeline project, he believes the water project is still viable.“If reasonable minds can come together, this project will still be built, it may not look like what it does today … there are hurdles and obstacles, yes, but I’m hopeful,” Crozier said.

More education about the pipeline project is needed, he admitted, noting that the public hearing did help more people understand the importance and relevance the project will have on the county’s east side.

“I had one individual call me the day after the public hearing, and he said, ‘I was on the fence but after listening to comments I am totally supportive of it,’ ” Crozier said.

“Is it cheap? Absolutely not, but I don’t think it’s going to get any cheaper in the future. We have a project here and I don’t think we can recreate it,” Crozier said.

Lacey McMurry contributed to this story.