‘The perfect storm’: Short Creek officials respond to recent water restrictions

HILDALE — Short Creek officials gave a response recently to the public frustrations with implemented water restrictions as the result of the “perfect storm.”

Hildale City Manager Eric Duthie and new Hildale City-Colorado City Utility Director Jerry Postema told St. George News during a tour of the water utility systems and facilities that the strict, constantly-changing water restrictions were a result of several factors that led the officials to change water restriction stages four times within the last month.

“Everything occurred at about the same time. The perfect storm,” Postema said.

As previously reported, the Hildale City Council investigated the water situation during a government meeting on July 12, and heard reports by utility superintendent Nathan Fischer.

“We want to get everything out there and want people to know that there is not anything hidden or a secret agenda like expressed in rumors and online,” Duthie said.

Weather and wells

The first factor for the implementation of water restrictions was the weather being hot and dry with no relief over the last couple of months. Due to the drought over the last few years, one wet winter will not replenish the aquifer, Duthie said, adding it will take years to refill.

The second factor was the cave-in of Well No. 21. The well needed to be drilled again and the pump and motor replaced. This downtime happened between June and mid-July.

The third factor was the late drilling of Well No. 17, which was supposed to be finished by early June. However, it was delayed to mid-July due to approval from the state of Arizona, for Colorado City, as well as drilling difficulties due to clay.

The well company reported a depth of 190 feet as of July 27. They need to go a depth of 600-700 feet. They are expecting the well to be dug by the end of August, if not sooner.

Water tank leak

Both Duthie and Postema said that over a year and a half ago, the water tank, which holds 800,000 gallons, was found to be leaking.

“The plan was to drain the tank and identify what needed to be done to do a repair or if it could be salvaged. After it was analyzed, we fixed the leak,” Postema said.

The tank then needed to be resealed with a special epoxy paint and sealer that takes five to seven days to cure, followed by an inspection and then refilled.

It was reported by a current employee at that time, that all of those steps were completed.

Postema said in April, they checked all of the wells and tanks and made sure they were ready.

At that time, Postema asked that specific employee if everything for the tank was done and never got an answer. He said he was finally able to speak with the employee face-to-face and found out the tank still had not actually been sealed as reported.

Postema said they sealed it and started to fill it so they could disinfect it and take samples. However, as they were filling it, another leak appeared about 3 feet off the ground on the side of the tank. It was an old hole that housed “sounder” equipment, a water level meter.

They then had to drain the tank, let it dry and then patch and reseal it.

Postema said the process wasn’t finished for several weeks, and the tank was hard to fill due to increased water use.

It took 2 1/2 to 3 weeks to fill the tank in order to do full disinfection and testing.

“So it really didn’t come online until late June,” Postema said. “That set us back tremendously.”

The ‘Deep Well’ leak

While the company was checking all of the wells and repairing leaky well casings in the aquifer, they found a leak in what is known as “the Deep Well.” According to records, this 3,200-foot well was capped off about 25-30 years ago after it was originally drilled looking for oil.

Duthie said the well is known locally as being prophesied by FLDS leaders that it would provide for the faithful. The well was uncapped a year ago with the sound of rushing water.

During the last spring, a camera was run down the well to explore it. At about 720 feet, down there was a small hole in the side of the casing with water coming in. This was about where an aquifer was.

“Of course, that brought up a concern about what was going on. Why’s this leaking? So we said we need to take care of this,” Postema said.

After contracts and bids, the repair to plug the hole to prevent water from leaking from the aquifer was estimated to cost $4,100-4,300. The repair is currently underway.

Duthie said there are a ton of rumors that the hole in the casing was bigger and a lot of water was leaking out of the aquifer. He held up his hands showing the size, which was similar to the size of a basketball.

Postema discovered that there are no records of maintenance being done on the well since it was drilled. The cycle of maintenance for a well is about 5 years.

The water priorities

Duthie stressed the importance of the difference between reclaimed and culinary water, explaining that parks are watered with reclaimed water, with the exception of Maxwell Park, which is watered from the springs. He said similar to golf courses, they use reclaimed water which is sewage water that has gone through some treatment but is not approved for drinking.

“A lot of people think that all of the water is the same and can be used for drinking, but obviously not true,” Duthie said.

Postema reported that there are four tanks that contain culinary water for Short Creek with storage capacities of 2.46 million gallons. The water treatment center has a system pumping capacity of 1.4 million gallons per day.

The two main priorities for culinary water are fire protection and drinking needs.

“We don’t want to put anyone in the public in harm’s way either by bad drinking water or no fire protection,” Postema said.

If water pressure gets below 25 pounds per square inch, the state requires a boil water notice. The water levels cannot drop below 12% full or there will not be enough for fire protection and safety. Postema said about 1,250-1,500 gallons per minute is required for fire-fighting needs.

Future plans

Postema said there will be two new wells being drilled and both will be operational by winter. A water grant from Mohave County paid for this and will provide for the replacement of the raw water line that runs to the treatment plant.

The general cost of drilling a new well is $400,000-$700,000 per well.

Future plans are to add two new water tanks that each hold 1 million gallons within five to 10 years.

The cost at the current estimate of a 1 million gallon tank is $1.75 million.

Currently, construction meters have been taken off fire hydrants and those companies are getting non-treated water from other sources.

Postema was happy to report that water production will be back up to full efficacy by the end of August if it goes according to plans.

“Everything is now based on data and science. Things are no longer based on ‘inspiration’ or the ‘old way,'” Duthie said, referring to former practices in the community.

On July 28, a social media video of a city update by Hildale Mayor Donia Jessop with Postema announced that water conservation was doing well and water restrictions were reduced.

Photo Gallery

Two of the four water storage tanks in the communities of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz., July 27, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

Inside the water treatment plant within the communities of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz., July 27, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

The water treatment plant within the communities of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz., July 27, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

The sewage water reservoir for the Hildale City-Colorado City Utility Company, Hildale, Utah, July 27, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

The new Well No. 17 being drilled in Colorado City, Ariz., July 27, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

The top of the 1 million gallon water tank which helps serve residents in Short Creek, Hildale, Utah, July 27, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

The new Hildale City-Colorado City Utility Company Director Jerry Postema gave responses to why the recent water restrictions changes, Hildale, Utah, July 28, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Hildale City, St. George News

Short Creek officials respond to recent changes in water restrictions and water status for the two communities of Hildale and Colorado City, Colorado City, Ariz., July 27, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

Nick Yamashita has extensive experience reporting for small town media, covering a variety of subjects and events for The Virgin River Times and The Progress in Southern Nevada. Before a career in journalism, he worked a variety of jobs in criminal justice systems. Yamashita holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Southern Utah University. He is an award-winning photographer and writer. He has been published in scholarly articles and poetry compilations. In his spare time, he practices and teaches martial arts.

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HILDALE — Weather and wellsWater tank leakThe ‘Deep Well’ leakThe water prioritiesFuture plansPhoto Gallery