Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Riverton reactivates the Green Well to enhance water supply for residents.
- The nanofiltration plant produces over 1,000 gallons per minute, meeting half city's needs.
- Funded by the American Rescue Plan, it saves taxpayers $100,000 annually.
RIVERTON — Riverton celebrated the completion of its Green Well project Friday — a nanofiltration well designed to serve as a sustainable water source for the southwest part of the valley.
The Green Well hadn't been used since 2015 when the city switched to purchase water from the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. The newly installed nanofiltration plant purifies the water, producing more than 1,000 gallons per minute, or about 1.4 million gallons per day. It will supply roughly half of the city's water needs, including the Riverbend Golf Course.
Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs highlighted the financial benefits of the project, noting it will save county taxpayers nearly $100,000 per year.
"We're able to not only increase the amount of water for our residents and provide a great solution for some of the county assets here, but we're able to grow water supply in a very arid part of the country," he said.
The $3.7 million project was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
City officials emphasized that residents should not notice any difference in water quality or taste.
"What we're trying to do is produce the same quality water that our residents are already getting or better," said Riverton public works director Cary Necaise.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson called the collaborative project a "big win."
"I really believe that as we have growing populations in this valley, changing climates, infrastructure needs and demands, investments like this are essential," she said. "In an era where water matters for so many different reasons, to do this the right way is all the more important."
Congressman Burgess Owens praised the initiative as a reflection of Utah's forward-thinking approach and innovative spirit.
"This is so Utah," he said. "We think outside the box. We collaborate like no other state in the union. And let me just say that no other state in the union has, I think, the same endgame that we have. We come up with ideas to make sure that the people we serve are satisfied."
