A CLOSER LOOK AT  SALT LAKE CITY’S (UTAH’S BIGGEST WATER HOARDER’S) IMPACT ON UTAH’S WATER COSTS.

Salt Lake City operates  a water “enterprise fund” in every sense of the word.  The SLC Water Department is and has gamed Utah water resources by exaggerating demand, understating supply to amass a hoard of water rights used to exact a “surplus water tax” from non-SLC residents.

The millions in “non-profits” are wasted on double to triple staffing, a cadre of lawyers, PR people, lobbyists, and water conference junkets. All this to maintain SLC’s water game–money for high salaries and lavish retirement benefits, money for SLC coffers, money for pet eco-projects, and money to influence legislation.

$19 million a year is an estimate of the excess water costs  to Utahns (City, County, and Wasatch County residents) based on a $20 inefficiency charge per bill per connection.  SLC generates approx. 936,096 monthly bills per year.  Do the math.

(936,096 bills x $20 = $18,721,920)  Gaming and hoarding water makes SLC money.  A city gaming state water resources is wrong.  SLC’s hoarding of water to levy a “surplus water tax on non-SLC residents is wrong.

Salt Lake City’s Water Department has gamed and hoarded so much water that it’s a  joke.

Recently, there was good news that water was found on the moon.

The bad news was Salt Lake City claimed they owned the water,

declared it “surplus,” and offered a “surplus” water contract to

NASA subject to NASA not developing on the moon.  The Martians

using the water since the Big Bang created the moon protested SLC’s “surplus water tax.”

SLC’s Water Department sues the Martians.  SLC Water Dept. issues aluminum hats to protect residents from Martian mind meld while lawsuit pends.

Martians file GRAMA request for aluminum purchase orders.  SLC’s GRAMA officer wearing aluminum hat says, “No record.”

Seriously,  Salt Lake City has claimed their neighbors’ future need for water in order to hoard water SLC can never use except for “surplus water sales” to non-SLC resideents.

SLC’s water hoarding foreclosed their neighbors’ ability to obtain their fair share of free public water rights like SLC did under the appropriation process.

These neighbors are forced to pay SLC a  “surplus water fee” for water they should rightfully  own.

$ Wasatch County residents pay an annual $400,000 “surplus water tax” to SLC.

$$ Alta pays an annual “surplus water tax” to SLC.

$$$ Cottonwood Heights pays an annual “surplus water tax” to SLC. $200 water is marked up up to $1,100.

$$$$ Salt Lake County residents pay an annual “surplus water tax” to SLC.

$$$$$ Brighton Ski Resort, Snowbird Ski Resort, Alta Ski Lifts, and Solitude Ski Resort pay an annual “surplus water tax” to SLC.

$$$$$$Big Cottonwood Canyon houses pay an annual “surplus water tax” to SLC.

$$$$$$$ State taxpayers pay top tiered SLC retail rates for U of U’s $2.2 million water bill. U of U’s 3,400 acre-feet cost SLC $212,500 to produce. The U of U should get a wholesale rate.  $2 million in gross profits means SLC is overcharging the state’s higher ed system for water. Marking $212,500 water up to $2.2 million is rate gouging the State Legislature who pay the U of U’s water bills.

Salt Lake City has enough water for about 600,000 people, but a population of only 180,000.  Not Salt Lake City, but the CUP, and Jordan Valley Water Conservation District will supply the future water demand of Salt Lake County.  This and wall to wall cities have made Salt Lake City’s grand water scheme to supply water to a population over 400,000 un-necessary just like Salt Lake County Sheriff Department over built and over planned only to find new cities wanted local police control instead.

The result of SLC’s exaggerated planning has resulted in SLC residents paying double and triple for water to pay for over building a water supply system for future customers now claimed by Jordan Valley, the CUP, and wall to wall cities.  SLC’s water hoard is now gamed for profit with “surplus” water sales. Laws are skirted so SLC can reap profit at the public’s expense.

These so-called “non-profits” are consumed by SLC’s big government waste and inefficiencies.  The “surplus” water rights should have reverted to the State for re-appropriation to those using the water like Alta, Cottonwood Heights, and Wasatch County now being gamed and exploited by Salt Lake City for gain.

Why would the Salt Lake City Council allow its water enterprise fund to game Utah’s water for profit  and expose SLC to huge liabilities from the court and legislature?  Why would “surplus” SLC water customers have to pay extra millions and millions each year because SLC has hoarded Utah’s water resources?

It may be clever, crafty,  and shrewd, but ill got gain always must be repaid.  $1 million to $3 million per year in water overcharges over decades by gaming the system creates  huge liabilities for SLC.  With treble damages in some cases, the liability potential is staggering.

How could SLC City Council members be so foolish as to allow the wanton disregard by its water department to threaten the city’s economic well being?  And all this to perpetuate extreme, unbalanced, un-sound policies and practices with no public benefit.

10 lawyers billing and battling over 5 acre-feet of water in Alta because of SLC’s water department. (3rd District Court Civil No. 090921163)

The Utah Supreme Court is sitting on another “title” dispute to 4.5 acre-feet of water (about 1 water share) because of SLC’s water department. (Utah Supreme Court Appeal No. 20090451)

Why would SLC chose to expose their city to such liabilities to keep other cities like Cottonwood Heights, Alta, and Wasatch County residents water dependent upon “surplus” hoarded public water?  The only answer is money and power.

At some point in time SLC will have to return the ill got gain and the hoarded water back to its rightful owner–the public.  SLC’s hoarding and gaming of water is simply wrong.

Salt Lake City residents who already face double water costs will be forced to pick up the tab for all the lawsuits and judgments against SLC.

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Salt Lake City has 5 of 7 board seats on the Metropolitan Water

District of Salt Lake & Sandy, 8 of 11 board seats on the Provo

River Water Users Association (Deer Creek), controls East Jordan

Irrigation Company, and  2 of 5 board seats (1 SLC + 1 EJIC) on Board of Canal Presidents (Utah Lake).

SLC has 6 of 7 Alta Planning Commission seats.  If SLC can’t directly control water boards, then SLC attorneys are used to indirectly control water boards.

Water commissioners like Ed Higbee were direct SLC employees biased against non-SLC water users. SLC water $$ flow to the Forest Service, and Salt Lake County for additional influence, cross pollenization, and concentration of SLC’s water power.

Hoarding water is good for the City’s coffers, but bad for City, County, and State pocket  books.

Water costs are double for Cottonwood Heights and County Customers.  Ski tickets cost more.  Alta’s water costs more. Wasatch County’s water costs more.

How much excess profit do you pay per month?

What price should the Salt Lake City water monopoly charge?

Salt Lake County “customers,” tired of high water rates?

Call Mayor Peter Carron 801-468-2500

“We have no Public Service Commission protections, and no voice on the SLC Council. Cut my water rate in half.”

Salt Lake City “customers,” tired of high

water rates?  Call the City Council 801-535-7600

“Our water costs are twice Jordan Valley’s, and triple Orem’s and Provo’s. Our water taxes are 8 times Orem’s. Our Water Dept. is over double staffed. Please cut the staff and cut our water costs.”

Please help by calling Governor Herbert’s Office

801-538-1045. Leave the message:

“Please take the State’s hoarded water back from Salt Lake City. Save Wasatch County residents $400,000 per year, the U of U $1.2 million per year, and Salt Lake County residents millions per year.”

$20 in excess costs per  monthly bill over 78,008 connection generate 936,096 bills annually.  $19 Million in excess water costs potential  per year. Over 25 years, the excess costs is $475 million dollars overcharged because of water hoarding.

Incremental excess costs over large populations generate enormous amounts.

How much excess water profit/inefficiencies per

month are 72,381 Salt Lake County residents

(24,788 connections) paying ? A study is on page 4.

How much excess costs and excess profits are

City and County “customers” paying?

Up to $25 million dollars per year? It’s a management decision.

What price should the Salt Lake City water monopoly charge?

Because Salt Lake City water monopoly has no competition,

how are Big-Government waste, inefficiencies, and fat reduced

while maintaining quality water and good service?

Big-Government waste and inefficiency or economies of scale and efficient operations.

It’s a management decision. Water monopolies want to at least

appear fair, but are the rates fair and efficient?

Proposed are 5 compounding rate increases of

4%, 5%, 4%, 4%, and 4% over the next 5 years

capturing an estimated additional $36 million

for the enterprise fund SLC water utility.

Exploiting monopoly to charge what the market will bear,

or providing an essential basicservice with the highest

efficiency and lowest cost to the public—It’s a management decision.

Salt Lake City offered the State of Utah free land and

water to relocate the Capital to Salt Lake City.

After decades of economic benefit and increased access to

State Government, the SLC Water Department sued the State

to break its word and free water agreement and lost.

The SLC Water Department sued 2,400 Utah Lake

water users,  sued Payson City, sued  Utah County

shareholders in Big Ditch, and even sued its own

Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake City which is an indication

that Salt Lake City does not control its own water department.

Suing the State was a management decision.

SLC dissolved the Butler Ditch, and transferred its water up Big Cottonwood Canyon for “surplus” water sales.  Only SLC can transfer water up Big Cottonwood Canyon. No one else can or SLC will sue you.  SLC spent 100 years to gain 100% control of Big Cottonwood Creek of which approximately 57% is not treated for drinking water.

UtahWater.net–public advocacy for Water Rights reform, for reduced water costs, for a level the playing field, and for water independence for all of Utah’s 245 cities and towns.

Water monopoly wastes water, creates artificial scarcity, artificial high water rates, increases property taxes, and business costs for all Utahs citizenry.   

We all pay for water monopoly.