Protecting Water Supply for 650,000 Residents
SOUTH WEBER (Oct. 2, 2024) – Today, state and local officials toured the Davis County Aqueduct seismic resilience project, a critical $81 million effort aimed at securing the water supply for over 650,000 residents in the event of a major earthquake.
The project, funded in part by a $24 million grant from the Utah Division of Water Resources, is being led by the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District (WBWCD). WBWCD’s design team, with the help of the Utah Geological Survey and Envision Utah, identified the funding needed to upgrade the major aqueducts throughout the state.
“This partnership between the Division of Water Resources and Weber Basin Water Conservancy District reflects our shared commitment to ensuring a water-resilient Utah,” said Candice Hasenyager, director of the Division of Water Resources. “Projects like these fortify our infrastructure and showcase the collaborative efforts within Utah’s water community. ”
The tour showcased the construction of the new large-diameter pipeline and pumphouse, designed to fortify the aqueduct against seismic risks along the Wasatch Front. This vital infrastructure is being upgraded to withstand potential earthquake damage, ensuring continued water security for Davis County and surrounding areas.
“An $81 million project — that was the amount of money that it took to build the entire Weber Basin project, including all the dams, reservoirs, pipelines, canals, pump stations back in the 1950s,” said Scott Paxman, executive director of Weber Basin Water Conservancy District.
The event concluded with a ceremonial pipe signing, symbolizing the ongoing collaboration between WBWCD, Division of Water Resources, Utah Geological Survey, Envision Utah and state legislators. Participants toured the construction site, where crews are currently working on the new pumphouse.
Project Details
The Davis Aqueduct Reach 1 Parallel Pipeline construction project is the construction of a pipeline to increase the resiliency of the Davis Aqueduct. The existing Davis Aqueduct was built in the mid-1950s and currently serves large portions of Davis County. The new pipeline will provide a more reliable conveyance of water to Davis County as part of the District’s resiliency preparedness. The project is expected to be under construction for a 24-month period. It will include two new pump stations and approximately 2.2 miles of 72-inch diameter welded steel piping, specially designed for seismic movement.
Whitaker Construction has been awarded the construction contract for the project. They will coordinate work with several subcontractors to complete the work. The new pipeline will terminate at the North Davis Water Treatment Plant. The water will be used for both treated culinary water and secondary irrigation. The alignment of the pipeline will cross Highway 89 and run parallel to the west side of the highway.
More project information can be found here.
About the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District
The District delivers approximately 230,000 acre-feet of water annually, including wholesale and retail agricultural irrigation water, wholesale and retail secondary irrigation water, treated and untreated industrial water, and replacement water. Over 700,000 residents within Davis, Weber, Morgan, Summit, and Box Elder counties receive water from District sources. The District operates seven large storage reservoirs, three hydro-power generation plants, 21 wells, four water treatment plants, and hundreds of miles of canals, tunnels, aqueducts, and pipelines.
For more information, contact Michael Sanchez, public information officer, at 385-226-8967 or email msanchez@utah.gov.
High-resolution images are available in this folder.
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The Utah Division of Water Resources is one of ten divisions housed within the Department of Natural Resources. Tasked with planning, conserving, developing and protecting Utah’s water resources, the division serves as Utah’s water steward.
