Salt Lake City has claimed their neighbors’ future need for water in

order to hoard water Salt Lake City has no use for other than “surplus

water sales.”

This 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 “surplus water

fees” for water they should rightfully own.

Salt Lake City claims it makes no profit on County “surplus”

water sales.  If that were truly the case, then Salt Lake City

would gladly allow these “surplus” customers to become

independent.  SLC refuses to allow this There are 245 cities in Utah.

Only 1 (SLC) has hoarded so much water, trapped so many “surplus”

water customers, and wasted so much water to gain a few dollars.

How long will Alta, Cottonwood Heights, Wasatch County residents

have to pay a “surplus” water tax to Salt Lake City?

Why do State Water Officials turn a blind eye to Salt Lake City’s

water hoarding which forces a SLC “surplus” water tax  on

non-Salt Lake City residents.

Is the Salt Lake City Water Utility a water bully or water steward?

$36.44 million in estimated increased water costs to Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County customers by the Salt Lake City’s Water Utility Enterprise Fund’s (SLCDOPU) proposed 5 consecutive compounding rate increase over the next 5 years. These increase are on top of already water rates, and high water district tax rates.

Please help break the Salt Lake City water monopoly by calling the Governor’s Hotline 801-538-1045 and leave this message: “Please break the Salt Lake City water monopoly.”

When the telephone monopoly broke, phone rates dropped. When the electric monopoly broke and was regulated, electric rates dropped.When the Salt Lake City water monopoly breaks, water rates will drop. Why? Because the hydraulic empire costs will go down.

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?

Salt Lake City: $1.14 to $3.28 per 1,000 gallons, 1 employee per 346 connections with a water district tax 733% higher than Orem City.

Orem City: $0.55 per 1,000 gallons with 1 employees per 833 connections.

Big-Government waste, inefficiency and monopoly drive water rates through the roof.

Monopolies are like lumbering elephants. It is difficult to turn them into competitive race horses.

Exploiting a monopoly to charge what the market will bear or providing an essential service with the highest efficiency and lowest cost to the public. It’s a management decision.

The water department appears to recommend a $12 million rate increase over the next 5 years–“The sale of water accounts for about 90% of this funds revenue. The 2007-08 budget includes a 4% rate increase with proposed rate increases of 5% next year and 4% for three years thereafter.” Fiscal Year 2007-08 Capital and Operating Budget (SLC)

In fiscal year end 2007, Salt Lake City’s water department had 53,220 connections in the City and 24,788 connections in Salt Lake County.

City connections decreased 4,426 and County connections decreased 9,910 from fiscal end year 2005 City connections of 57,646 and County connections of 34,698.

“customers who are non-residents of municipalities would be left at the mercy of officials over whom they have no control at the ballot box” CP National Corporation v. Public Service Commission

Salt Lake Citys water department: A Warren Buffet Enterprise or A Public water department?

Utah may not need a State Engineers Office by 2050 if a mega Salt Lake City water department serves 19% to 23% of Utahs 5.4 million 2050 projected population.

Salt Lake City’s water department is a great water company. That is the point. Municipal privilege and protections are not for market advantage to grow 20+ million dollar water companies outside a city’s corporate limits inside another city’s corporate limits.

Salt Lake City and County Water ratepayers are told to conserve with “conservation rate structures” partly because of conservation at the same time Salt Lake City is selling œsurplus water outside Salt Lake County. Water rates are tiered up to 496% to $3.28 per thousand gallons with 2.8 employees per 1,000 connections under “conservation rate structures” conditions while Orems water rates remain low at $0.55 per 1,000 gallons with 1.2 employees per 1,000 connections during the same drought and conservation period.

How can Salt Lake City’s water department demand more money for less water from rate payers using conservation and drought conditions as partial justification while at the same time selling its surplus water outside Salt County?http://utahwater.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/17-salt-lake-city-304561128-water-sales-to-jordanelle-special-service-district.pdf

Salt Lake City’s MWD has pending water applications proposing to build a 370 feet high earth and rock dam on Big Cottonwood Creek to impound 60,000 acre-feet of water, and build a 410 feet high earth and rock dam on Little Cottonwood Creek to impound 50,000 acre-feet of water. In 2003, MWD SLC updated the title to these applications.

Salt Lake City has filed water applications proposing about 20 hydro-electric power plants in the canyons & valleys requiring 1 million acre-feet of water.

(Note: After nearly a 100 years of power generation, Rocky Mountain Power decommissioned the hydroelectric plant in American Fork Canyon including part of a 12,000-foot long steel flow-line through Timpanogos Cave National Monument in January 2008.)

On January 16, 2007, Salt Lake City water department stated:

Salt Lake City provides drinking water to 400,000 people in Salt Lake City, unincorporated Salt Lake County, Holladay City, Cottonwood Heights City and Murray City east of 1300 East.

http://www.slcgov.com/Utilities/NewsEvents/news2007/news1262007.htm

On February 15, 2007 Salt Lake City water department reported to the Division of Water Rights it delivered/sold 76,645 acre-feet of water to a population of 319,186. http://nrwrt1.nr.state.ut.us/cgi-bin/wuseview.exe?Modinfo=Pwsview&SYSTEM_ID=1139

On June 19, 2007 KCPW NPR radio reporting on water and the Salt Lake City water department stated:

the City has just enough water to last through 2050 - with a strong focus on conservation. http://www.kcpw.org/article/3778

On December 10, 2007 on KCPW NPR radio Salt Lake City water department stated:

SLC May Need Another 180K Acre-Feet Through 2050. http://www.kcpw.org/article/4955

When asked in a Grama Request for the foundation for the statements, the response: “The statement was not made on any water inventory or other document.” The June, and December 2007 KCPW radio statements were made by a water department representative who was “generally in charge of the City’s archived water department files” and had “personal knowledge regarding the water rights owned by Salt Lake City Corporation.”

Salt Lake City claims 18,359 acres of land undeveloped in the Northwest Quadrant of which 53.6% zoned Agricultural and Open Space.

• 5,098 acres zoned Agricultural

• 257 acres zone General Commercial

• 8,255 acres zoned Light Industrial

• 4,749 acres zoned Open Space

“Request No. 25: Admit that you operate a water department with water sales of approximately $50 million without a water inventory. Answer: Deny.” February 12, 2008.

“15-The amount of water in acre-feet Salt Lake City claims it owns estimated within 10,000 acre-feet. No record.” January 26, 2006 by SLC to GRAMA request.

Utah Governors Office 2005 Baseline City Population Projections 2000-2050, the States baseline 2050 population projection for Salt Lake City is 225,066.http://www.governor.utah.gov/dea/05BaselineCityProj.pdf

According to Salt Lake City information available December, 2007, Salt Lake Citys population is 181,743.” http://www.slctravel.com/welcome.htm

Q: Based on Salt Lake Citys own figures, an additional 180,000 acre-feet of water would provide the water for how many people?

A: 749,605 people using the figures reported to the Division of Water Rights 2/15/2007.

A: Or, 939,396 people using the figures reported to the Public in the Donut Falls article 1/16/2007.

Q: What is Salt Lake Citys projected population increase by 2050?

A: 43,323 who may require an additional 10,403 acre-feet of water without factoring in the 25% conservation target, and 2,739 acre-feet with factoring in the 25% conservation target more or less.

Q: When would Salt Lake Citys own population reach 319,186 or 400,000 which is SLC’s current claimed customer base using the Governors Office projection numbers?

A: By the year 2,250, or about 240 years from now if ever. In light of an estimated 190 new water connections in FY2006/2007 is more likely that Salt Lake City’s population would may not reach 400,000 in 240 years. An increase of 700,000 to 900,000 Salt Lake City inhabitants is also not likely within the next 240 years.

Q: Based on Utahs Governor projected population figures for Salt Lake City, and Salt Lake City figures, where would the people requiring this 180,000 acre-feet of water be living?

A: 43,323 inside Salt Lake City and 706,282 outside Salt Lake City corporate limits using Salt Lake Citys figures reported to Division of Water Rights figures of February 15, 2007.

A: 43,323 outside Salt Lake City corporate limits 896,073 outside Salt Lake City using Salt Lake Citys Donut Falls figures of January 16, 2007.

Q: Based on Utah Governors 2050 projected population figures for Salt Lake City, what percent of Utah will be living in Salt Lake City by 2050?

A: Approximately 4.2%

Q: Based on Salt Lake City water department statements, what percent of Utah does the Salt Lake City water department claim “future water need for by 2050?

A: 19% of Utahs 2050 5.4 million projected population based on the figures reported by Salt Lake City to the Division of Water Rights.

A: 23% of Utahs 5.4 million projected population based on the figures reported by Salt Lake City to the Public in the Donut Falls article.

Q: Based on water sales revenue of approximately 50 million dollars on 76,645 acre-feet in 2006 with 30 million dollars inside Salt Lake City and 20 million dollars outside Salt Lake City corporate limits, what is the projected water sales revenue outside Salt Lake City’s corporate limits by 2050 adding an additional 180,000 acre-feet of water sales up to 256,645 acre-feet by 2050?

A:130 million dollars in today’s dollars without adjusting for inflation. With inflation and recurrant price increases the dollar figure is likely to double every 14 years which may push the figure north of 900 million by 2050 for water sales outside SLC corporate limits.

Q: Is SLC water department’s motivation the best interest and good ofthe Public, or to get the Public’s goods for profit and extra territorial power?

A: Just a real good question.

If this is the future of Utahs water rights, then Utah may not need the State Engineers Office just 5 mega city water departments like Salt Lake City water departments 2050 projected size may be able to served the entire State of Utah.

How has Salt Lake City’s water department bypassed Utahs Constitutional safeguards which establish water equality and independence for every city by expressly prohibiting all cities from directly or indirectly selling water to establish Salt Lake City’s current water monopoly laying its heavy hand upon the Public purse using the Publics water for profit and extra territorial jurisdictional power?

Is this a Warren Buffet enterprise or a public water department? If one city can grow a 20 to 100 million dollar water business outside its corporate limits, then other cities will also want the same right which may lay the foundation for water wars in Utah.

Water may be the petroleum of the 21^st Century. Some have suggested wars will be fought over it. http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/apr/07kak.htm

Some analysts say that future wars will be fought over water, not oil, and claim that water wars are inevitable. Five years ago, the US National Intelligence Council reported that the likelihood of inter-state conflict over water would increase in the next 15 years.

On one hand, global water challenges are the result of too many people demanding too much water. On the other hand, they are a problem of weak institutions and poor governance frameworks unable to manage water supplies to simultaneously meet the needs of people, agriculture, industry, and the environment.

http://dusteye.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/future-wars-may-be-fought-over-water-not-oil/

Utahwater.net recommends:

1-Transparent water inventories for the Public. No current transparent water inventory = no privileges at the Division of Water Rights.

2-Authorizing “surplus” water under 10-8-14 only under temporary change applications which are self expiring within 12 months together with a time limit of 3 years. If a city can only sell excess water as surplus, it should revert to the State for re-appropriation. Why should Wasatch County residents pay a $414,000 “water tax” to Salt Lake City for use of the Public’s water? Why should Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, Millcreek, Alta, Brighton, etc. be denied water independence in perpetuity?

3-The filing of appropriate pleadings in the General Proposed Determination for Area 57 and 59 re-aligning the water duty from 5 to 4 like Utah, Tooele, Davis Countis to conform with the other 28 counties in Utah under Dr. Hill’s hydrology and reduce water tension between counties.

Note: The figures quoted are referenced by website, and are estimates intended to provide perspective for dialog on water issues.

It appears that Salt Lake City claims some type of constitutional carve out against the prohibition for a city to directly or indirectly sell water for its City’s 20.4 million dollar water company selling water outside SLC corporate limits. If this is good legal theory which most likely is not, then an equal & corresponding and carve out must exist in the municipal immunity protection against anti-trust claims to allow affected parties standing with anti-trust claims against the City’s water business. One carve out naturally counterbalances the other carve out to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of the present and future residents of Salt Lake County and Utah.

FY2006/2007 inside use in Salt Lake City is approximately 2,438,245300 cubic feet, or about 55,971 acre-feet.

February 16, 2007, Dave Anderton in Desert News article: “Housing boom fizzles–Salt Lake City permits dropped 69 percent.”

Correction: On September 2, 1998, in the Ground-water Source Protection Ordinance articles it states: “Salt Lake City depends on wells and springs to supply about 20 percent of its drinking water supply. On July 10, 2007, SLC wrote: “Another 15 percent of SLC’s water supply on average comes from a ground water from a series of deep wells . . ..”

Salt Lake City does have a petition for 20,000 acre-feet of CUP water plus an additional 3,400 acre-feet with option to purchase an additional 1,350 acre-feet.