Surprise! We live in a desert. We don’t get much sky water, so we must arduously plan and care for the water that we do receive.
As citizens of Santaquin, we have given the city the responsibility of providing water to us. Sure, we pay for the water we use, but we pay for that water at cost. Cities do not normally make a profit.
So, how is Santaquin City providing that water to us? First, they have wells that tap into the Aquaphor, deep underground. Second, they own shares in companies and projects that are working to get water from the mountains to us.
These projects are: the Summit Creek Irrigation & Canal Co; the South Utah Valley Municipal Water Agency (SUVMWA), through Strawberry Reservoir; Mt Nebo Water Agency; and Central Utah Water Conservancy District.
Interestingly, Santaquin only uses 40% of our water for indoor use. The other 60% is used for watering lawns, gardens, etc. The SUVMWA water will hopefully reach us by 2024 and will be used for our outdoor needs, freeing up palatable water that is currently being used.