The Park City School District announced Friday it has obtained a dewatering permit for the construction site on the grounds of the old Treasure Mountain Junior High campus.
Construction crews have been working in the area since September 2025. The school was demolished to make way for new athletics facilities, including two soccer fields, eight tennis courts and softball and baseball fields.
On Oct. 10, the project’s contractor, Hogan Construction, reported potential illegal water dumping to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. According to a report shared by the district, tens of thousands of gallons of groundwater was pumped into the nearby Silver Creek that day.
While DEQ said there were no public health or environmental risks from the discharge, state regulators began an investigation. Results of the investigation are expected to be released in April.
In a statement released Jan. 20, Hogan said it discharged the water without a permit as the water was determined not to be hazardous. Later, the Utah Division of Water Quality determined the site’s groundwater contained lead and arsenic at higher than allowable levels. Because of Park City’s mining history, arsenic and lead have been found in area soils.
After the dumping, an environmental consultant reiterated Hogan didn’t have permission to discharge the water — hazardous or not.
Since October, Hogan has been holding groundwater in approved storage tanks on site. It also began the process of getting a Treated Groundwater Surface Water Permit.
Now with the permit in hand, the district said dewatering operations will begin next month. On April 2, contractors will add chemicals to the water in the tanks. Then, water samples will be collected and sent to a lab for analysis, with results expected by the next day.
If the samples test within permitted limits, the water will be discharged directly into a storm drain or Silver Creek starting April 6, in accordance with approved protocols. Sewer repair work will also begin April 6. Both activities will take two to three days to complete.
The district said Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District will be present to observe the sewer repair process and Park City’s water department will be notified.
The district’s building consultant and new environmental consultant will also be on site to ensure the dewatering process complies with permitting requirements.
