The rural residents in the proposed project area currently obtain their water, in the majority of instances, from private wells drilled into shallow aquifers, gravel pockets or deep confined aquifers. Some rural residents are hauling water either because their well water is undrinkable or there is not a sufficient quantity to be usable. Many residents do report water quality and/or water quantity problems which is evidenced by the chart of private well water quality listed.

Three communities must treat their water because of high levels of fluoride which is a health hazard and a regulated contaminant. The fourth community - Jordan - does not treat its water but it is high in sodium and total dissolved solids which are not currently regulated, but have detrimental effects on those drinking it.

Based upon preliminary review of the water quality in the wells of rural users in the service area it indicated that the majority of them do not have access to a quality of water needed for a healthy existence.

Table below shows a  sampling of water well quality found in the project area along with tables showing the National Drinking Water Standards. One of the wells on that list serves Garfield County School District No.15 and it shows that the sodium level is 447 ppm which exceeds the recommended level of 250 ppm, the fluoride is 3.35 ppm which exceeds the recommended level of 2 ppm and it has 1049 ppm of total dissolved solids which is over twice the recommended level of 500 ppm.

This well and the other private wells are not regulated by National Drinking Water Standards but the detrimental effects of the water on their users are not any less because they are not regulated. The treatment of water in a private well is costly and sometimes complicated depending on what is in the water.

A regional water system will allow the rural user to have access to a reliable, safe, high quality water. The public water systems in the service area are regulated by Drinking Water Standards and must treat the water provided to their users to these standards. The use of a membrane type treatment facility (reserve osmosis or nano-filtration) are not typical systems found in smaller towns, but due to the limited alternatives to remove the regulated contaminates (fluoride) Circle, Richey, and Lambert were forced to use is energy intensive system. The requirements for safe drinking water are getting more stringent every year and these increased regulations equal increased costs to public systems. A small system that currently treats their water such as Circle, Richey and Lambert will be greatly impacted financially for even minor modifications needed to meet new drinking water standards.

The town of Jordan currently does not treat its ground water source but does provide disinfection by means of chlorination. The town of Jordan, like other public drinking water systems, must publish an annual drinking water report and the following is an excerpt from the latest report:

"We're pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements. However, as many of you know, although our water is labeled as safe to drink under the Safe Drinking Water Act, some of the unregulated parameters affect the taste and may affect the health of a limited population. The concerns are sodium and the total dissolved solids in the water. The sodium level is high enough that people with high blood pressure may want to consider a separate source of drinking water. The total dissolved solids are high enough to have a laxative effect on the people that have not become conditioned to the water. We are aware of these problems with our source of drinking water, but have been unable to find a solution that is financially feasible."

 

This table is a sample of  a small portion of drinking water quality in the service area.

Need for the Project