Managed Aquifer Recharge Project
Purpose
The District is constructing managed aquifer recharge (MAR) facilities at the Little Cottonwood Water Treatment Plant (LCWTP). The project will improve the reliability, resiliency, and sustainability of the water supply in Salt Lake County and is partially funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
An aquifer is an underground formation that holds water. Water from an aquifer can be extracted with a well. Water can also discharge naturally from an aquifer at springs and in wetlands. Ideally aquifer use balances extraction and recharge, holding as near a net balance as possible. Overuse of an aquifer can lead to increased pumping costs, deeper wells, and dried springs and wetlands. How effectively and long the aquifer lasts is largely dependent on the community’s stewardship.
The MAR program includes several phases of facilities at the LCWTP and other locations. The first phase is a pilot test to better understand the features of the aquifer and its response to recharge. Future phases will be dependent on the pilot test, and are currently anticipated to occur after 2030.
Phase I
Phase 1 includes
- Five monitoring wells (MW),
- An injection well, and
- 2.3 acres of surface infiltration basins (SIBs) at the LCWTP.
Collectively, these facilities will send up to an estimated 29 acre-feet of water into the aquifer per day when available. Please refer to the image below for each part of Phase 1.
Collectively, these facilities will send up to an estimated 29 acre-feet of water into the aquifer per day when available. Please refer to the image below for each part of Phase 1.
Monitoring Wells
Drilling for the monitoring wells began on December 19, 2022 and concluded on June 30, 2023. The five 10-inch diameter monitoring wells vary in depth from 450 to 550 feet deep and are strategically placed around the SIBs and injection well to track the groundwater elevation. Each of these wells found groundwater between 395 and 475 feet below ground surface. This compares to depths recorded in 2007 of 259 to 294 feet below ground surface, suggesting aquifer extraction is exceeding the natural recharge rate.
Injection Well
The injection well is a 20 inches in diameter and 700 feet deep. Drilling began on January 9, 2023. The first 110 feet were drilled and the conductor casing installed by January 12, 2023. Drilling resumed on May 1, 2023.
Drilling is a two-step process. First, a smaller diameter pilot hole is drilled to inspect the well geology and to facilitate the full-size drill. Second, the pilot hole is reamed, or widened, with a larger bit. Once drilling is complete a casing is installed in the hole with slots carefully designed and placed to maximize movement of water through the well.
The first well neared completion in early July, but was unfortunately lost when a large piece of the reamer fell into the well. After several attempts and weeks to save the well, it was abandoned. Well abandonment was coordinated with the State of Utah and involved filling the hole with gravel and placing a concrete cap. Drilling on the second well began July 26, 2023 and concluded September 9, 2023.
Between September 10 and 17, 2023 the contractor swabbed, or cleaned, the well casing. This is the first step in well development. Additional development will be completed with a smaller piece of equipment, primarily during daytime hours, for several months. The sound wall that was installed for drilling will be removed by the end of September 2023.
Surface Infiltration Basins
Construction on the surface infiltration basins and site infrastructure began on July 25, 2023. The SIBs are large in-ground basins that will hold water at a depth of two feet when in service. The water will infiltrate into the ground and through drain holes within each basin. Site infrastructure refers to piping, vaults, and instrumentation needed to operate the SIBs and the infiltration well. A prefabricated well house will also be installed over the well site.
Excavation for the north SIB began August 15, 2023 and concluded September 6, 2023. Work on the south SIB began September 7, 2023 and is in progress. Once excavation is complete, the contractor will be shaping the basins, drilling drain holes, installing piping, and performing other work to prepare them for use in the spring of 2024.
During this portion of the project heavy excavation and haul equipment will be working primarily during weekday business hours.
Schedule
The above schedule represents anticipated completion dates and is subject to change. Please review updates below for the most up-to-date project information.
Contact
For questions or concerns related to the project, please contact Ammon Allen at 801-942-9687. Calls received after 5 PM or on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday will be returned the next business day.
Project Updates
May 1, 2024: The Contractor has been working with the concrete work around well house, and finishing conduit work left last week. Next week they will preparing to finish with the concrete at the well house slab, and backfilling after.
April 24, 2024: COP electricians are working on getting the conduit installed in the well house. They are grading around the yard hydrants and monitoring wells in preparation to storage material for the Cottonwood Connection project. Next week they plan to backfill well pump house.
April 17, 2024: The Contractor poured concrete around the bollards, yard hydrant and 2 monitoring wells. Next week they will be working running the rest of electrical conduits from the vaults to the well house and finish work on the under slab drain piping.
April 3, 2024: The Contractor (COP) is installing the flow meters in both meter vaults, they are also installing the screens on the SIB pipes, and working on concrete pads around the yard hydrant along with the monitoring wells. They have scheduled to start hydro seeding this weekend, and pouring concrete for the well house foundation. Next week they will start installing bollards around concrete pads.
March 21, 2024: The contractor is back on site to finish installing pipe and build the well house. Final grading around the site will be completed in the next few weeks, after which seed will be broadcast. Electrical work will follow. An updated schedule is in development. Portions of the site, mostly on the northwest, will be available for storing pipe and materials for the Cottonwoods Connection Project. We look forward to sharing more information on that project, including what to expect, in the coming weeks.
January 23, 2024: Well development is wrapping up and construction is on hold. Updates will be on hold until work resumes, tentatively in March 2024. Remaining work includes the well house, well equipment, and electrical and instrumentation installation.
January 10, 2024: The contractor continues developing the ASR Well and anticipates completing in the coming weeks. We are coordinating details for the electrical and mechanical portions of the project. Site work is limited with the snow.
December 20, 2023: The Well Contractor continues developing the ASR Well. They will be taking sand readings while swabbing the rest of the week. They will be cleaning out all the Chemical next week. COP hauled off materials yesterday and today. A sweeper will come Thursday morning for a final cleaning before Christmas. No work until January 2, 2024.
December 13, 2023: The Well Contractor continues developing the ASR Well. This process will take several months, they are in the chemical treatment phase now. This week the meter vault to south SIB meter has been completed and they will start backfilling and compacting the area. Site grading is almost complete, and some hauling off of debris and cleaning is anticipated next week. The contractor will work Monday through Thursday, December 18 – 21, and then be off until January 2, 2024.
December 13, 2023: The Well Contractor continues developing the ASR Well. This process will take several months, they are in the chemical treatment phase now. This week the meter vault to south SIB meter has been completed and they will start backfilling and compacting the area. Site grading is almost complete, and some hauling off of debris and cleaning is anticipated next week. The contractor will work Monday through Thursday, December 18 – 21, and then be off until January 2, 2024.
We also wish to highlight a separate effort to improve the security of the treatment plant. This includes perimeter fence maintenance and replacing and servicing barbed wire. Thank you for your understanding.
December 6, 2023: The contractor will continue developing the ASR Well for the next several months. This week the overflow piping between the SIBs and the pipe connection to the north SIB were installed. Next week the south SIB meter vault will be installed. Site grading is almost complete. Delays with the ASR Well will extend the project into August 2024, primarily with respect to the well house. Staff is preparing an updated schedule. We anticipate seeding will still occur in spring 2024. An updated schedule will be shared on this website within the next week.
November 29, 2023: Widdison Well Services has received approval for chemical development process, and they are planning to start next week. COP Construction is working on final grading and storm runoff mitigation. Final site grading will continue on November 27 and continue into early December. Native seed will be during early spring.
November 15, 2023: Well development continues. The development team is still swabbing and awaiting permission to begin chemical development. The chemical development process will help loosen and clean the soil formations around the well and is anticipated to increase water injection rates into the aquifer. COP construction is working this week and until Wednesday, November 22 on rip rap at the SIB inlets. No construction will occur on Thanksgiving or the day after. Final site grading will continue on November 27 and continue into early December. Native seed will be broadcast when appropriate to ensure growth, likely in early spring.
November 8, 2023: Widisson is continue working on swabbing process. They plan to start with the chemical process next week. COP Construction is off this week. ASR concrete deck was poured yesterday.
November 2, 2023: ASR well development team (Widisson) is working on swabbing process, they are still finding important amount of sand. Chemical treatment will be next part of the development process. COP Construction is working on connecting 24 inch pipe to SIB meter vaults. Cop construction is still working on berms and access roads.
October 26, 2023: ASR well development team (Widisson) is working on the swabbing part of the well development process. COP Construction is working on the rebar installation for the ASR Vault and will pour concrete tomorrow afternoon. The ASR meter vault installation to the SIB started today. The drain hole drilling work will be accomplished this week.
October 18, 2023: ASR well development team (Widisson Well Services) and equipment arrived to site last Monday. They are setting up the well rig equipment and will start working the next two days. COP Construction is finishing up the drain holes in SIB #2 and will continue working on the SIB drain holes next week. They connect the 16” HDPE pipe and meter boxes to the SIB next week. All the work will be done during the permitted day hours.
October 11, 2023: Mass excavation is complete. The contractor is now shaping the SIBs and is preparing to drill the drain holes next week. These nine 48-inch diameter drain holes – four in the north basin and five in the south – will be approximately 70 feet deep and filled with gravel. We anticipate they will enhance infiltration into the aquifer. Drilling will occur only during permitted construction hours (i.e., no overnight drilling). Walls for the ASR Vault will be placed next week. Well development is also anticipated to begin Thursday, October 19th.
October 4, 2023: Off-site hauling of excavated material is mostly complete. Truck traffic will be sporadic moving forward. The contractor is building the vault that will direct treated water to the ASR well for injection. Shaping the SIBs is also in progress. The contractor anticipates the majority of work related to the SIBs to be completed by the end of November 2023. Site piping, electrical, and related work will continue into next year. The SIBs are expected to be functional by the end of February 2024, with the well several months later.
September 28, 2023: The ASR well is constructed. Development will begin in the next few weeks. Sound walls were removed. Excavation on the south infiltration basin is expected to finish in the next two to three weeks.
September 20, 2023: The ASR Well contractor is in the process of moving off the worksite. Sounds walls are scheduled to be taken down next Tuesday. Excavation work continues at the south infiltration basin, with 10 trucks on rotation per day.
September 13, 2023: The ASR well is drilled and the casing and gravel pack are installed. Swabbing (the first part of development) is anticipated to run through the end of next week. Excavation work continues on the south infiltration basin.
September 6, 2023: The ASR well is 646 feet (of 715 feet) deep. The contractor is optimistic drilling will be completed on Friday at which point the well casing will be installed and the gravel pack installed. Development will begin early next week. Initial development will run 24 hours a day for several days. The sound walls will then come down and development will resume with smaller, quieter equipment. Excavation on the north basin was completed today and the same on the south basin began.
August 31, 2023: The ASR well pilot hole is complete and reaming reached 457 feet deep this morning. Excavation for the north SIB is ongoing. We are grateful to the community for patience and understanding during these noise and traffic disruptions.
August 31, 2023: The ASR well pilot hole is complete and reaming reached 457 feet deep this morning. Excavation for the north SIB is ongoing. We are grateful to the community for patience and understanding during these noise and traffic disruptions.
August 16, 2023: The ASR well pilot hole reached 487 feet deep with an 18-inch bit. The drill was tripped out, equipped with a 20-inch bit, and reached 509 feet deep this morning. After the 20-inch bit reaches 715 feet the hole will be widened with a 28-inch diameter reamer. Excavation for the SIBs began Tuesday and will continue into September. Trucks will enter and exit the treatment plant from Danish Road to Wasatch Boulevard, Monday through Friday, approximately 7:00 am to 4:30 pm.
August 16, 2023: The ASR well pilot hole reached 487 feet deep with an 18-inch bit. The drill was tripped out, equipped with a 20-inch bit, and reached 509 feet deep this morning. After the 20-inch bit reaches 715 feet the hole will be widened with a 28-inch diameter reamer. Excavation for the SIBs began Tuesday and will continue into September. Trucks will enter and exit the treatment plant from Danish Road to Wasatch Boulevard, Monday through Friday, approximately 7:00 am to 4:30 pm.
August 2, 2023: The conductor casing for the new ASR well was completed on July 31. Drilling will resume on August 3. The SIB and infrastructure contractor is installing site piping this week. They may begin excavation on the northernmost SIB as early as next week.
July 26, 2023: Unfortunately the broken reamer could not be retrieved and the ASR well was lost. The well was abandoned following state requirements. The contractor began drilling today for a new conductor casing. They expect to have the conductor casing in and grouted by Friday. Drilling to 700 feet will begin Monday and is anticipated for four to six weeks. Work on the surface infiltration basins also began this week. The contractor anticipates installing site piping next week and will begin excavation on SIB 2 (the northernmost basin) the week of August 7. We are working with the contractor to ensure dust stays under control.
July 26, 2023: Unfortunately the broken reamer could not be retrieved and the ASR well was lost. The well was abandoned following state requirements. The contractor began drilling today for a new conductor casing. They expect to have the conductor casing in and grouted by Friday. Drilling to 700 feet will begin Monday and is anticipated for four to six weeks. Work on the surface infiltration basins also began this week. The contractor anticipates installing site piping next week and will begin excavation on SIB 2 (the northernmost basin) the week of August 7. We are working with the contractor to ensure dust stays under control.
July 12, 2023: The well contractor is trying to fish out the broken portion of the reamer. Once fishing is successful, the contractor has about two more weeks of work to complete the well. At that point the sound wall and drill rig will be removed from the site. Development of the well will follow during daytime hours for about three months. The basin contractor began work this week.
July 6, 2023: At 652 feet deep the reamer shank sheared. The contractor is now attempting to fish out the broken piece before finishing the well reaming. Work on Phase 2, which includes the infiltration basins, piping, and wellhouse, will begin the week of June 10.
June 30, 2023: Monitoring wells are complete! The ASR well is reamed to 569 feet. The SIB contractor will mobilize the week of July 3 and begin work the week of July 10. A postcard update will be shared with neighboring property owners the week of July 3.
June 21, 2023: The final monitoring well, MW3b, is expected to be complete this week. Materials for the ASR well began to arrive this week. The contractor started reaming the well on June 17 and is currently about 250 feet deep. Work will be 24/7 for about the next four weeks as the hole is reamed, the well casing and screen installed, gravel pack installed, and well capped. Well development will follow in mid-to-late July. Work on the SIBs is anticipated to begin in early July.
June 15, 2023: MW3b will be equipped and developed next week. Reaming on the ASR well may begin as early as this weekend. Work on the surface infiltration basins is anticipated to begin after July 4. Written notice will be sent to neighboring property owners.
June 7, 2023: Hydro Resources, the well driller, continues to make good drilling progress with monitoring well 3b (MW3b). A casing, which will arrive next week, will enable the last 50 feet of drilling to take place. COP Construction, the contractor for the Surface Infiltration Basins, began soil sampling this week.
June 1, 2023: MW5 is complete. Drilling on MW3b began June 1. MW3b is the replacement for the lost MW3, and will be drilled just west of MW3. The next phase of the project will see construction of the surface infiltration basins and equipping the ASR well. The contractor will mobilize and prepare the site in June and anticipates work in earnest after July 4.
May 24, 2023: MW5 drilling is complete. The well will now be equipped and developed. The contractor will then move to MW3. The ASR Well reached 710 feet on May 20 and well design is in process. We anticipate the reaming process to begin in about two weeks. Award of the surface infiltration basins is anticipated on June 12, with work beginning in July 2023.
May 18, 2023: MW5 is nearly complete. The ASR Well is 603 feet deep as of 7am on May 17. We anticipate award of the surface infiltration basins at the June 12 board meeting, with work beginning in July 2023.
May 11, 2023:MW4 is complete and MW5 is drilled to 180 feet. MW5 is going slower due to the soil formation, which has a lot of quartz at this location. Following MW5, the contractor will drill MW3 again. Unfortunately, the well was lost. After several days of downtime due to a stuck tool, drilling on the ASR well resumed on May 10. As of 7am on May 11, the drill reached 401 feet. We are reviewing three bids for the next part of the project in anticipation of award on June 12. The project was featured on ABC4! Watch the story here.
May 3, 2023:The contractor is finalizing MW4 and preparing to move to MW5. The lower piezometer on MW3 was lost and will require that drill be drilled again. Drilling on the ASR Well began late on April 30 and is now about 250 (of 700) feet deep. We recognize and apologize for disruption to the community from sound and lighting during this process. The team continues to balance those impacts with providing a good quality work product. Please contact Ammon Allen at (801) 942-9687 or allen@mwdsls.org with any questions.
April 26, 2023: The contractor expects to complete drilling on MW4 this weekend. The well will be developed next week. The ASR well contractor is mobilizing and expects to begin drilling Saturday afternoon. Bids for SIB construction are due May 10.
April 12, 2023: There is some delay in finishing up MW3 as 160’ of PVC pipe was dropped into the hole. The contractor will finish removing that pipe then complete the piezometers before moving on to MW4, tentatively at the beginning of next week. The ASR well contractor will begin mobilizing to the site over the next week and anticipates starting to drill next week. Notices of the updated dates on the noise permit were mailed to property owners within 800’ of the ASR well on April 6. A copy of that permit is available in the Project Directories list to the left.
April 5, 2023: Drilling on MW3 was completed on April 1. The well is being developed this week. The contractor expects to begin drilling MW4 next week. The ASR well contractor anticipates beginning the week of April 17.
March 30, 2023: The contractor expects to finish drilling for MW3 this weekend and complete MW3 next week. He will then move to MW4.
March 22, 2023: The contractor set the conductor casing and is drilling MW3.
March 15, 2023: The contractor is staging and will begin MW3 next week.
March 8, 2023: Drilling for MW1 is complete. The well will now be developed. Drilling on MW3 is expected to begin next week. ASR Well drilling was delayed due to an equipment malfunction and is now anticipated in early April.
March 1, 2023: The 40’ conductor casing on MW1 was installed on February 28. The contractor is now drilling to 450 feet. Sound walls are up in preparation for the ASR well drilling, which is anticipated to begin mid-March. A picture of the sound wall configuration is shown below.
March 1, 2023: The 40’ conductor casing on MW1 was installed on February 28. The contractor is now drilling to 450 feet. Sound walls are up in preparation for the ASR well drilling, which is anticipated to begin mid-March. A picture of the sound wall configuration is shown below.
Dec 19, 2022: Drilling for MW2 is anticipated to begin Wednesday, Dec 21. The contractor will work through Friday, Dec 23. Drilling is expected to continue on Tuesday, Dec 27 to Friday, Dec 30. Drilling will then begin again on Tuesday, Jan 3.