Tooele Water Restrictions & Power Problems
More Info
August 3, 2000
A water line break has been repaired, and water restrictions for the Salt Lake Valley were to be lifted for Friday.
The break happened around 10:00 Wednesday night, at 3400 West 1800 South, near an industrial park. Crews Thursday morning discovered that the 42 inch line itself was not broken, but a drain valve corroded and broke.
That 42 inch line usually feeds 38 million gallons of water each day into the Victory Road Reservoir, just east of the state capitol. The reservoir holds treated water, and is the main sources of water for downtown and west Salt Lake City.
There are normally about 26 feet of water in the reservoir. Thursday morning, the water level was down to about two and a half feet. The main water source to the reservoir was shut off while crews repaired that broken valve. Water was diverted from another reservoir to supplement the supply at Victory Road.
Mayor Rocky Anderson had asked valley residents to stop all outdoor water use, and limit indoor use.
Although much of Salt Lake's water infrastructure is old, the valve corrosion was probably due to corrosive soils in the area, not age. Three years ago, the city began a program to replace old water pipes at a rate of seven miles of pipe each year.
