Tooele county government will construct a domestic water supply system in unincorporated ibapah, utah to serve local tribal and nontribal communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate…

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $525,922 Project Grant under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief program (CFDA 15.514) to Tooele County, Utah to construct a domestic water supply system in the unincorporated Ibapah community. This project will address the community's severe limitations in accessing clean, safe drinking water by establishing a new well and distribution system capable of providing up to 10 acre-feet of water annually. The improved water supply reliability, enhanced firefighting capabilities, and increased public health and safety will help alleviate the impacts of drought and climate change in the Ibapah community. This grant award has an effective date of January 13, 2025 and a targeted completion date of November 30, 2026.

Tooele county government will construct a domestic water supply system in unincorporated ibapah, utah to serve local tribal and nontribal communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change hazards, lack of indoor plumbing, legacy pollution, and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. The ibapah community currently grapples with severe limitations in accessing clean and safe drinking water, relying on trucked water, bottled water from the grocery store, and personal wells that are prone to failure. The inadequate water supply not only poses public health and safety hazards but also hampers the local fire station s emergency response, resulting in delayed responses and increased property damage. To address these issues, tooele county will construct and equip a well and a distribution system to provide domestic water supplies of up to 10 acrefeet annually. This project will increase water supply reliability, alleviate the impacts of drought, enhance firefighting capabilities, improve public health and safety, enhance climate change resiliency, and stimulate economic growth in the community. The road department, fire department, facilities department, county manger, and city council actively participated in the planning of this project, collectively determining that establishing a new water supply system was the most effective way to serve the communitys water needs.