Provo is targeting April 15 to finish construction of its Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project, according to KUTV. The schedule is intended to put the project into service as irrigation season begins, when the city could route Provo River water into a stream feature at Riverview Park.
Project components and purpose
KUTV reported that the project pairs a new water treatment plant with a constructed stream feature in Rock Canyon. Water introduced into the feature is designed to seep into the ground and replenish the aquifer. The city says the strategy is intended to address groundwater supplies affected by a prolonged drought and lessen reliance on wells reaching deeper underground.
According to KUTV, Provo officials say aquifer levels have fallen during the drought cycle. They expect the recharge effort to support groundwater levels and potentially reduce the energy needed to pump water from greater depths.
Funding and treatment-plant role
How groundwater is monitored
The available background does not quantify how groundwater levels in Utah Valley changed year by year over the past decade. It does show the scope of the monitoring system: According to the U.S. Geological Survey, water-level measurements are collected annually from more than 500 wells, while continuous recorders operate at 23 sites to provide ongoing time-series data.
KUTV reported that the overall project costs more than $100 million and is funded through city, county, state and federal sources. Separately, a Provo budget document describes the treatment plant as an investment intended to expand water capacity and support future growth.
