Pub. 3 2020-21 Issue 2

32 Raising the grade for canals is important, Utah needs to: • fund, prioritize and establish support and oversight for Utah’s canal systems • create a long-term plan for the future that involves project stakeholders • put together multidisciplinary teams to assess risks and figure out solutions – plans should analyze the impact of urban growth and climate change • address and clarify the legal issues associated with jurisdictional authority • assess and engineer canal hazards that impact infrastructure tomodern standards Dams: C+ There are more than 900 dams in the State of Utah. Of these dams, 860 are on the National Inventory of Dams (NID) and 266 are considered high hazard. The State of Utah manages 212 of these high hazard dams while 54 of them are under federal jurisdiction. Utah faces a number of unique dam safety challenges regarding the dam’s ages, seismic risks near major population centers, and a continuing trend of urban growth near breach zones. As dams approach the end of their design lives, the downstream demand and development increases, current low risk dams are gradually becoming high risk dams through urban encroachment. Utah provides approximately $3.8million of funding per year for routine dam rehabilitation projects. The rehabilitation programhas been in effect for over 20 years and 45 dams have been rehabilitated tomeet current safety standards. As the infrastructure ages, more funding will be needed to keep these dams operational due to sediment accumulation, wear and tear on outlet systems, and upgrades to meet seismic and construction standards. Raising the grade on dams is vital. Utah needs to: • evaluate of the condition of all high hazard dams within the state • expedite rehabilitation for dams within the state • increase funding to maintain and upgrade the state’s dams • make plans to achieve satisfactory ratings within the next 25 years and secure funding to keep the rating Drinking Water: B- Most of Utah’s growing population is served by drinking water networks that operate under multiple threats. A growing population, significant funding needs, and seismic concerns are just a few of the issues the state is facing. Because water supply is such a critical issue in Utah, adequate planning and associated infrastructure maintenance is vital. Utah is one of the most arid states in the nation and water supply is a major issue. Building and maintaining the infrastructure to move water supplies is a critical part of Utah’s water conservancy districts’missions. Success is critical, as about 90% of Utah’s urban population lives in the northern part of the state, away from the water supply sources. To raise the grade on drinking water, Utah needs to: • invest in systems that provide for future water supply needs • appropriate specific funding to consider long-range alternatives, such as out-of-state sources from areas that might be less negatively impacted by climate change • support and fund not only contingency planning and preparation activities, but also consider the construction of certain measures that could minimize, or in fact, possibly eliminate, damage/displacement of major water supply conduits that are susceptible to a major seismic event • promote and fund the extension of SAMPs programs for smaller water systems, including the provision of technical support • fund and support an analytical analysis of future water system financial requirements, given the rapid growth of population and urban development • further, the state should consider financially supporting water supply and distribution entities, such as is currently practiced with transportation, e.g., UDOT’s freeway construction Hazardous Waste: C+ Hazardous wastes, such as byproducts of mining and manufacturing, present complex management and potential cleanup challenges to communities throughout Utah. Furthermore, electronic wastes containing lead and other heavy metals represent a growing concern when improperly disposed of in landfills. Ongoing cleanup concerns and no clear policy on banning e-waste from landfills is holding Utah back. Nationally, Utah ranked 36th in hazardous waste generation, 20th in hazardous waste management, and 12th in quantity of imported hazardous wastes. To raise the grade on hazardous waste, Utah needs to: • enact legislation prohibiting the disposal of electronic wastes in landfills • make a coordinated public commitment to achieving sustainable, circular electronics and manufacturing lifecycles which reduce waste, increase opportunities for manufacturers to recycle and reuse valuable materials, and eliminate toxic processes and byproducts whenever possible • leverage Utah’s strong culture of public-private partnerships and entrepreneurship to grow “re-manufacturing” jobs within the State of Utah to achieve a sustainable, circular economy • engage electronics manufacturers, retailers, and recycling service providers to develop a robust electronics takeback and recycling program available statewide continued from page 31