Officials Tour $81 Million Seismic Resilience Project
| Utah DNR | October 2, 2024 |
“Today, state and local officials toured the Davis County Aqueduct seismic resilience project, a critical $81 million effort aimed at securing the water supply for over 650,000 residents in the event of a major earthquake.
The project, funded in part by a $24 million grant from the Utah Division of Water Resources, is being led by the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District (WBWCD). WBWCD’s design team, with the help of the Utah Geological Survey and Envision Utah, identified the funding needed to upgrade the major aqueducts throughout the state...
The tour showcased the construction of the new large-diameter pipeline and pumphouse, designed to fortify the aqueduct against seismic risks along the Wasatch Front. This vital infrastructure is being upgraded to withstand potential earthquake damage, ensuring continued water security for Davis County and surrounding areas. ”
Developer proposes new units behind Avenues fourplex if rezone approved
| Building Salt Lake | September 23, 2024 |
| Samantha Hawkins |
“A new development proposal aims to bring additional housing to the Lower Avenues by adding five residential units behind a historic 1950’s fourplex, according to a rezoning request from local developer Will & Alex LLC…
Will & Alex says that its primary goal is to increase housing options in the neighborhood, which like many metropolitan areas, has been impacted by rising land costs and low housing supply. The new units will be out of direct view from the street in an effort to maintain the neighborhood’s aesthetic, according to the proposal…
A recent Envision Utah survey indicated that 78% of Utahns are in favor of mixed housing types, a shift that Will & Alex says this project will support. The Lower Avenues already has several multi-family buildings within the same zone, and the new project seeks to blend with that existing density.”
USU UWLP and Envision Utah publish “What Matters Most to Utahns?”
| Cache Valley Daily | September 20, 2024
| Nick Fox |
“Envision Utah, a nonprofit organization focused on enhancing the quality of life in Utah communities, conducted an online survey of Utahns in November 2021 to identify their values, priorities, and pressing concerns. The study identified key issues Utahns need to prioritize to ensure that more Utah women and their families thrive.
According to the results, the most important issues both men and women agreed on include water, housing/cost of living, healthcare, education, air quality, and economic development/jobs. Respondents considered diversity and inclusion, climate change, and arts and culture less urgent. But the survey also found that men and women differ in certain areas.
“Women placed higher importance on healthcare, preparation for disasters, diversity and inclusion, climate change, and arts and culture – issues that are more closely linked to overall quality of life,” said Susan R. Madsen, director of the Utah State UniversityUtah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP), who partnered with Envision Utah to publish the survey results…”
A northern Utah project vital for future water delivery
| Salt Lake Tribune | August 9, 2024 |
| Amy Joi O'Donoghue |
"Imagine an earthquake taking out an aqueduct because it crosses several areas of the Wasatch Fault.
The result would be the cessation of the delivery of treated culinary and secondary water for 400,000 Davis County area residents…
Ari Bruening, president and chief executive officer of Envision Utah, said an analysis of catastrophic failures in the event of the “Big One” revealed a whole host of areas where improvements in infrastructure needed to be made.
“There are a lot of things that we could do — everything from transportation to natural gas and power and upgrading buildings. But what rose to the top was water because it is such a critical need. And what rose to the top of that was these aqueducts, because without these aqueducts, most of the water that serves the Wasatch Front would not be available for many, many, many months,” he told the Deseret News at the time.
Four aging aqueduct systems that serve over two million people on the Wasatch Front received $50 million for upgrades or replacements to incorporate earthquake resilience.
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