Study finds about 4,200‑acre‑foot gap by 2060; staff urges developer exactions, reuse and targeted wells

City staff presented a JUB water‑rights planning study at the Feb. 18 Tooele City work meeting, telling the council the city must combine acquisitions, reuse and conservation to close a projected multi‑thousand acre‑foot gap as growth accelerates.

Jamie Grand Prix, former public works director, summarized the study’s conclusion: "paper rights do not equal wet water," and after applying engineering derating and a 10% drought buffer the city’s reliable usable supply is roughly 12,365 acre‑feet. Using a 2% annual growth rate cited from the Governor's Office of Economic Development, the study estimates annual demand will reach about 16,576 acre‑feet by 2060, creating a projected deficit in the order of 4,200 acre‑feet.

Nathan Farrer, Tooele's public works director, said the study recommends the city continue requiring developers to bring or fund water rights under the existing developer exaction policy. "We must strictly maintain our policy that development pays its own way," Farrer said, adding that accepting fees in lieu of water rights carries the risk that the city may not be able to acquire equivalent rights later.

Staff also recommended a combined approach: expand reuse of reclaimed water (currently used on a golf course and targetable for secondary irrigation), pursue regional partnerships to pool resources, refine exaction policies to increase acquisition of rights, and boost conservation programs toward a 15%–20% reduction target. The presenters described a test‑well program (two test wells per production well) and an objective to develop roughly five new production wells, drilling in or near future growth areas to avoid expensive long‑distance pipelines. Rogers Well was described as a viable producer expected to begin pumping imminently; presenters estimated large production wells can be in the order of hundreds to a few thousand gallons per minute.

Councilmembers asked whether Vernon water rights could be moved into the Tooele system; staff said some rights cannot be changed and that moving the Vernon rights is effectively limited — while water can be transported, the rights often must remain at their original point of diversion and the cost to pipe that water can be high.

The study applies a 10% drought overlay to planning numbers so that, staff said, meeting the target leaves a modest buffer for dry years; extended droughts would trigger curtailment orders but the overlay is intended to help maintain delivery capability.

No formal council action was taken during the work meeting; staff will provide presentation materials to council and continue work on implementing the recommended mix of exactions, reuse expansions and a phased well program.