Frequently Asked Questions

Water Reclamation Facility Project

• Why do we need to do this project?

  Our current sewer lagoons are beyond capacity. They were designed in 1994 to provide capacity through 2012 for a population of approximately 4,500. However, growth over the last 16 years has exceeded those 1994 projections. Today our population is over 8,500 and continues to grow. 

• Will it stink?

  The process is a very clean low odor operation. Santaquin City is taking every precaution to ensure that odors are imperceptible by fully enclosing the process in buildings that have a slight negative pressure. This means that air from the outside will be pulled indoors when doors are opened. In addition, air scrubbers will be installed in the HVAC system. Finally, there will be no storage of bio-solids onsite. All of these steps will ensure the lowest possible odor issue.

• Will new growth pay for any of this project?

  History has proven that growth will come. As such, the revenue that new growth will bring, in the form of impact fees and monthly user rates, will allow the City Council of the future the ability to either pay down the debt early or lower everyone’s monthly user rate.