Two eastern Summit County towns, Oakley and Henefer, halted new construction three years ago by banning water hookups. The moratoriums came amid Utah's most severe drought in decades.
Both have been upgrading their water systems since then, and Oakley was able to lift its water connection moratorium in November of 2023.
A year later, Henefer has lifted its own moratorium too.
The town is building a new secondary, or irrigation, water system. Previously, it only had culinary water, which was used for everything from drinking and bathing to agriculture and fire suppression.
Secondary water drawn from the Echo Reservoir and irrigation ditches is expected to relieve the burden on Henefer’s culinary system.
According to the Henefer City Council’s November meeting minutes, Mayor Kay Richins expects secondary water construction will finish in May 2025.
The city’s moratorium was set to expire in May 2024, but since the secondary water wasn’t close to ready, the council unanimously extended it until November.
Since the moratorium expired, City Planner Jake Young confirmed the town has already received new applications to connect to the system.
Residents asked about potential watering restrictions at the November council meeting.
Councilmember Casey Ovard said irrigation may be limited if the ditches and reservoirs get low during the summer. Other eastern Summit County towns regularly implement a summer watering schedule to maintain water pressure.
Henefer’s new hookup fee is $1,500, plus a monthly rate.
