The proposed Dry Wash Reservoir in Ivins would store wastewater in the winter to be used for outdoor irrigation somewhere in the county during the summer. To help residents and the City Council better understand and maybe even appreciate wastewater, the Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD) organized a tour of facilities in and around Las Vegas on March 14th, where wastewater is being used to protect water resources and at the same time provide some scenic wildlife habitat.
About a dozen residents, WCWCD staff, and a water consultant went along for the ride, including me, Mayor Hart, and Planning Commission member Perry Brown. None of the facilities we visited were comparable to Dry Wash Reservoir. So, unfortunately, we didn’t see any solutions we could implement at Dry Wash. But it was still interesting to see how Las Vegas reuses almost every drop of water. Clearly, what flushes in Vegas stays in Vegas.
Now we have to get down to dealing with the flood of issues Dry Wash Reservoir raises. I believe we, meaning every community in the county, needs to work together to create a reuse water system. WCWCDs 20-year plan says we will have enough water for the next 20 years of growth because the plan assumes we will ultimately use 24,000 acre-feet of reuse water annually. Right now, we use about 3,000 acre-feet. Why not more? We have no place to store it in the winter.
But what should that reuse water “system” look like? Should we create 100-acres of open space in Ivins instead? Should we build a smaller reservoir? Are there more suitable locations? Are there better sources of water? What negative impacts will a reservoir create? Can we mitigate those impacts? These are just some of the questions we need to look at carefully.
The City Council will start addressing these in our first work meeting on this critical issue. The meeting is open to the public. So please join us on March 21st from 4:00 to 5:00 pm at City Hall (85 N Main Street). Ivins resident Wayne Pennington has done a lot of research on the reservoir design. He will present some findings along with new research he has been working on.
Please attend. This is an important issue. If you want some background information first, I have written 39 articles about water in the past couple of years. Here are four recent ones dealing with the reservoir: Reservoir Reservations Remain, How Can Something So Foul Look So Good?, Honey I Shrunk the Reservoir, and Is the Reservoir Plan All Wet?
I don’t think there will be much opportunity for comments this time, because we have limited time and a lot to cover. So why bother attending if you can’t speak? Six reasons:
- Stay Informed: It’s a big topic with a lot of information. Knowledge is power.
- Observe: It helps to see how the council reacts to different issues and statements.
- Community Presence: Being there shows that you care about this issue.
- Networking: Meet others who share similar concerns.
- Future Opportunities: This is “research” for when you will get to speak.
- Pressure and Accountability: Send a message. Hold us accountable for our decisions.
