Latest news with #SaltLakeCityPublicUtilities
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Utah mudslides destroy hillside mansions
A hillside water meter malfunction triggered a destructive mudslide, sending tons of mud and debris crashing into homes in one of Utah 's most upscale neighborhoods and forcing emergency evacuations. The devastating incident began shortly after 8pm on Tuesday near 3100 East Silver Hawk Drive in Holladay, where a water meter failed on a steep slope above the ritzy homes. Emergency response crews responded to reports of flooding, only to realize a large volume of mud and water had broken loose, slamming into at least three properties. One home took the brunt of the slide, with several feet of mud filling the basement. No injuries were reported, but three homes were evacuated as a precaution. 'It seemed like an explosion of water coming out from up there, and it just started rushing down,' resident Paul Holmes, whose basement apartment was inundated, told KSL-TV5. 'We can't even get the doors open because the mud is keeping them shut, so we have to go through the back windows.' Holmes said the damage is severe and will require a full gut of the space. 'It's a full restoration - like, tear it down to the studs,' he said. Authorities believed a water main had ruptured at first, however, it was later discovered by Salt Lake City Public Utilities officials that the break came from the sacrificial bottom of a water meter box - a built-in fail-safe designed to release pressure and prevent a full-blown pipe burst. 'The meter did exactly what it was supposed to do,' Chloe Morroni, communications manager for the utility department, said. 'It's just - the topography out here certainly caused some issues,' she said, adding that the same design on a flat surface would have likely caused 'no issues.' Normally, the release would saturate nearby ground, but in this case, the meter sat roughly 50 to 75 feet above the neighborhood on a steep incline, she explained. The released water quickly destabilized the slope, triggering the devastating slide. 'I look out the garage, and I just see all this, like, dirty water gushing and just a bunch of stuff falling. It was just really chaotic,' Piper Knight, a local resident who witnessed the slide, said. Local fire departments worked for over two hours to contain the flow, building dikes - barriers to hold back water - to redirect mud and shut down the water source. City utility crews reportedly stayed on the scene overnight and into Wednesday morning. Now, the 21-year-old meter will be replaced with a modern 'smart' version, according to Morroni. In addition, the city will bring in contractors to shore up the hillside and conduct geotechnical assessments to determine what additional protections may be needed. 'We'll do what we can to not only replace it, but make it even stronger,' Jason Draper, chief engineer for Salt Lake City Public Utilities, told the outlet, adding that the city is looking into 'adding retaining walls.' Officials have since acknowledged that aging infrastructure - especially in hilly terrain - poses unique risks. 'We hate to see this happen. It's so unfortunate. I'm thankful no one was injured and the water line was not broken itself, so that it did not knock a whole bunch of homes out of water,' Morroni said. The Utah Division of Public Utilities have also emphasized the importance of funding long-term infrastructure upgrades. 'The Division strongly supports a rate-funded capital reserve account to ensure the companies can replace aging infrastructure and respond to emergencies,' Division Director Chris Parker said in a statement.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Devastating mudslides ruin hillside mansions in ritzy Utah neighborhood
A hillside water meter malfunction triggered a destructive mudslide, sending tons of mud and debris crashing into homes in one of Utah 's most upscale neighborhoods and forcing emergency evacuations. The devastating incident began shortly after 8pm on Tuesday near 3100 East Silver Hawk Drive in Holladay, where a water meter failed on a steep slope above the ritzy homes. Emergency response crews responded to reports of flooding, only to realize a large volume of mud and water had broken loose, slamming into at least three properties. One home took the brunt of the slide, with several feet of mud filling the basement. No injuries were reported, but three homes were evacuated as a precaution. 'It seemed like an explosion of water coming out from up there, and it just started rushing down,' resident Paul Holmes, whose basement apartment was inundated, told KSL-TV5. 'We can't even get the doors open because the mud is keeping them shut, so we have to go through the back windows.' Holmes said the damage is severe and will require a full gut of the space. 'It's a full restoration - like, tear it down to the studs,' he said. Authorities believed a water main had ruptured at first, however, it was later discovered by Salt Lake City Public Utilities officials that the break came from the sacrificial bottom of a water meter box - a built-in fail-safe designed to release pressure and prevent a full-blown pipe burst. 'The meter did exactly what it was supposed to do,' Chloe Morroni, communications manager for the utility department, said. 'It's just - the topography out here certainly caused some issues,' she said, adding that the same design on a flat surface would have likely caused 'no issues.' Normally, the release would saturate nearby ground, but in this case, the meter sat roughly 50 to 75 feet above the neighborhood on a steep incline, she explained. The released water quickly destabilized the slope, triggering the devastating slide. 'I look out the garage, and I just see all this, like, dirty water gushing and just a bunch of stuff falling. It was just really chaotic,' Piper Knight, a local resident who witnessed the slide, said. Local fire departments worked for over two hours to contain the flow, building dikes - barriers to hold back water - to redirect mud and shut down the water source. City utility crews reportedly stayed on the scene overnight and into Wednesday morning. Now, the 21-year-old meter will be replaced with a modern 'smart' version, according to Morroni. In addition, the city will bring in contractors to shore up the hillside and conduct geotechnical assessments to determine what additional protections may be needed. 'We'll do what we can to not only replace it, but make it even stronger,' Jason Draper, chief engineer for Salt Lake City Public Utilities, told the outlet, adding that the city is looking into 'adding retaining walls.' Officials have since acknowledged that aging infrastructure - especially in hilly terrain - poses unique risks. 'We hate to see this happen. It's so unfortunate. I'm thankful no one was injured and the water line was not broken itself, so that it did not knock a whole bunch of homes out of water,' Morroni said. The Utah Division of Public Utilities have also emphasized the importance of funding long-term infrastructure upgrades. 'The Division strongly supports a rate-funded capital reserve account to ensure the companies can replace aging infrastructure and respond to emergencies,' Division Director Chris Parker said in a statement. But for residents like Holmes, the immediate concern is recovery. His driveway remains buried under mud, and access to his home is limited. 'I've already talked to a disaster restoration company,' he said. 'It's going to take a lot of work to fix the damage.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Salt Lake City to open 4 new foothills trailheads 4 years after plan hit a snag
A handful of bikers, runners and hikers breezed past Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall on a warm, sunny spring morning as she described the importance of the foothills surrounding the city. 'It's pretty hard to beat a bike or a run or a walk with this incredible view,' she said, standing from a spot overlooking downtown from the mouth of City Creek Canyon. 'When you get up, it's even better.' Moments later, she and other city officials took a short hike up a nearby trail to celebrate the opening of the Bonneville Boulevard Trailhead at 650 N. Bonneville Boulevard. The new trailhead, which links some of the newer trails in the area, features parking spaces and six bike racks, each with the city's sego lily logo and mural designs from artists selected by the Salt Lake City Arts Council, as well as new trail signs and a dog-waste-bag dispenser station. It's the first of four new 'major' trailheads on track to open over the next few weeks across the city's foothills network. Others will be located at: Popperton Park, 360 N. Popperton Park Way Victory Road, 670 Victory Road Emigration Canyon, 2699 E. Sunnyside Avenue Some will include similar bike racks, toilets, picnic areas and other amenities. A fifth trailhead — a revamped 18th Avenue Trailhead — will be completed after Salt Lake City Public Utilities finishes an infrastructure project in the area next year. Twenty-five smaller trailheads, mostly with smaller signs and dog-waste stations, will also be added throughout the network, along with over 100 new wayfinding signs. 'While great trails are obviously at the center of a great trail system, thoughtfully designed trailheads help make the trail experience even better,' said Tyler Fonarow, director of trails and natural lands for the Salt Lake City Park and Public Lands Department. 'Our new trailheads ... represent our investment and commitment to ensuring new and returning trailway users alike feel welcome, safe and prepared to have a world-class outdoors experience without leaving the city.' Wednesday's ceremony marked one of the largest updates to the city's foothills plan since the project hit a snag nearly four years ago. After almost four years of planning, Salt Lake City leaders adopted a new foothills master plan in March 2020 to improve the recreational mountain trail system in the 6,000 acres of foothills within city limits. It was approved a week before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns were instituted, leading to record visitation at city trails, parks and other outdoor spaces. However, some of the project's first trail builds didn't go as planned. Residents and outdoor recreation enthusiasts reported slide-offs and other trail issues from the project's first phase, prompting the city to pause the plan in September 2021 and review what went wrong. The city had erred with 'inefficient' planning, which resulted in 'poor construction quality' and other issues on some of the trails, an independent consulting firm concluded in a final report. The report also found a lack of education on trails that had become decommissioned for repairs and revegetation. A one-year break in developing the plan ultimately became a much longer delay, as the Salt Lake City Public Lands completely rewrote the master plan, focusing on land management over trails. The new version, which department officials unveiled toward the end of last summer, features seven distinct foothills districts to narrow down the planning needs and challenges within each zone. The new trailheads are tied to the 'next step' in bringing the master plan to life, said Kim Shelley, executive director of Salt Lake City Public Lands. The city allocated a little more than $1 million toward constructing the new trailheads, which was matched with a state recreation grant. 'This is an exciting milestone in our continued investment in sustainable and accessible outdoor recreation,' she said. More expansion plans are underway. Public Lands also began work last year to secure land agreements with the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, U.S. Forest Service, University of Utah and Utah Division of State Parks — all of which also own land within the foothills — as part of the next phase of project expansions. A comanagement agreement is being drafted and could be finalized as early as June, Fonarow said. The Salt Lake City Council has already allowed the department to use previously allocated funding to plan and design new trails once an agreement is reached. Planning is expected to pick up soon on the foothill sections between City Creek Canyon and the University of Utah. The department will need to return to the City Council once it is ready to construct any new trails, which could happen as early as next year. Trails that may not have been 'ideally built' during the first phase of the master plan may also be realigned as part of the next steps, which could take place in 2026, he added. It's a step toward adding to what the city's foothills already offer. 'Salt Lake City (is) growing and evolving as a destination for living (and) a destination for quality of life,' Fonarow said. '(Our) access to outdoor recreation is unparalleled.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Salt Lake City to open 4 new foothills trailheads 4 years after plan hit a snag
A handful of bikers, runners and hikers breezed past Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall on a warm, sunny spring morning as she described the importance of the foothills surrounding the city. 'It's pretty hard to beat a bike or a run or a walk with this incredible view,' she said, standing from a spot overlooking downtown from the mouth of City Creek Canyon. 'When you get up, it's even better.' Moments later, she and other city officials took a short hike up a nearby trail to celebrate the opening of the Bonneville Boulevard Trailhead at 650 N. Bonneville Boulevard. The new trailhead, which links some of the newer trails in the area, features parking spaces and six bike racks, each with the city's sego lily logo and mural designs from artists selected by the Salt Lake City Arts Council, as well as new trail signs and a dog-waste-bag dispenser station. It's the first of four new 'major' trailheads on track to open over the next few weeks across the city's foothills network. Others will be located at: Popperton Park, 360 N. Popperton Park Way Victory Road, 670 Victory Road Emigration Canyon, 2699 E. Sunnyside Avenue Some will include similar bike racks, toilets, picnic areas and other amenities. A fifth trailhead — a revamped 18th Avenue Trailhead — will be completed after Salt Lake City Public Utilities finishes an infrastructure project in the area next year. Twenty-five smaller trailheads, mostly with smaller signs and dog-waste stations, will also be added throughout the network, along with over 100 new wayfinding signs. 'While great trails are obviously at the center of a great trail system, thoughtfully designed trailheads help make the trail experience even better,' said Tyler Fonarow, director of trails and natural lands for the Salt Lake City Park and Public Lands Department. 'Our new trailheads ... represent our investment and commitment to ensuring new and returning trailway users alike feel welcome, safe and prepared to have a world-class outdoors experience without leaving the city.' Wednesday's ceremony marked one of the largest updates to the city's foothills plan since the project hit a snag nearly four years ago. After almost four years of planning, Salt Lake City leaders adopted a new foothills master plan in March 2020 to improve the recreational mountain trail system in the 6,000 acres of foothills within city limits. It was approved a week before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns were instituted, leading to record visitation at city trails, parks and other outdoor spaces. However, some of the project's first trail builds didn't go as planned. Residents and outdoor recreation enthusiasts reported slide-offs and other trail issues from the project's first phase, prompting the city to pause the plan in September 2021 and review what went wrong. The city had erred with 'inefficient' planning, which resulted in 'poor construction quality' and other issues on some of the trails, an independent consulting firm concluded in a final report. The report also found a lack of education on trails that had become decommissioned for repairs and revegetation. A one-year break in developing the plan ultimately became a much longer delay, as the Salt Lake City Public Lands completely rewrote the master plan, focusing on land management over trails. The new version, which department officials unveiled toward the end of last summer, features seven distinct foothills districts to narrow down the planning needs and challenges within each zone. The new trailheads are tied to the 'next step' in bringing the master plan to life, said Kim Shelley, executive director of Salt Lake City Public Lands. The city allocated a little more than $1 million toward constructing the new trailheads, which was matched with a state recreation grant. 'This is an exciting milestone in our continued investment in sustainable and accessible outdoor recreation,' she said. More expansion plans are underway. Public Lands also began work last year to secure land agreements with the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, U.S. Forest Service, University of Utah and Utah Division of State Parks — all of which also own land within the foothills — as part of the next phase of project expansions. A comanagement agreement is being drafted and could be finalized as early as June, Fonarow said. The Salt Lake City Council has already allowed the department to use previously allocated funding to plan and design new trails once an agreement is reached. Planning is expected to pick up soon on the foothill sections between City Creek Canyon and the University of Utah. The department will need to return to the City Council once it is ready to construct any new trails, which could happen as early as next year. Trails that may not have been 'ideally built' during the first phase of the master plan may also be realigned as part of the next steps, which could take place in 2026, he added. It's a step toward adding to what the city's foothills already offer. 'Salt Lake City (is) growing and evolving as a destination for living (and) a destination for quality of life,' Fonarow said. '(Our) access to outdoor recreation is unparalleled.'
