著者

吉田 隆彦

出版者

信州大学教養部

雑誌

信州大学教養部紀要 (ISSN:13409972)

巻号頁・発行日

no.23, pp.p85-103, 1989-02

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Dealing with California water problems, Engelbert has described as follows; "Obviously, regions with rapid population growth will face urban water shortages sooner than less rapidly growing regions if current pricing and allocation practices continued." So, "Control of urban development and urban water conservation are identified as major factors intimately related to future urban water supply management" (Engelbert, 1982). This description is very suggestive for the people who are concerning the water problems regarding resource saving and management. In those areas where the expansion of residential areas are in process, it can be assumed that the reasonable water saving will be actualized through a system in which the marginal cost of supplying urban water is imposed on those consumers that are the very new dwellers in newly develped urban areas by whom the water supply costs are raised highly. The Salt Lake City Dapartment of Public Utilities is responsible for water service to the corporate limits of the city and to a large portion of the unincorporated southeast section of Salt Lake County. And those both areas had formed the Metropolitan Water District and sponsored the Provo River Project to develop dependable water resources by construction Deer Creek Reservoir and Salt Lake Aqueduct. Today it provides water to a population of 375,000 people approximately including workers and visitors from outside the city limits during the day, and delivered water annually is estimated 140,000 acre-feet. West Valley City which is one of the satellite towns of the Salt Lake City is located on the western side of the Jordan River, where is on the eastern end of the slopes extending from the Oquirrh Mountains. It occupies the southwestern suburban corner of the Salt Lake City and it can be reached after half an hour drive from the downtown area of the Salt Lake City. West Valley City was incorporated as the city in 1980 with population of 72,378 and 21,270 occupied housing units. Also this district is situated at the northern terminal of the several canals that are diverted on the Jordan Narrows and conveying irrigetion water from south to north following eastern slopes perimeter of the Oquirrh Mountains. Until 1960s, the predominant land use of this area is wheat cropping or pasturing, irrigated or non-irrigated respectively. Rapid population growth and land use conversion from farmlands to residential purposes have arisen and continued during and after 1960's due to Salt Lake City's urban growth and areal expansion of the peoples journey to work. Dwellers of the West Valley City could obtain adequate water for their communities from the small local wells in their early days. But soonly inadequacy of the local sources was felt. Immediately after the Provo River Project implemented, from the 'Terminal Reservoir' on the East Bench, pipes called 'Kearns Supply Line' were installed to bring treated water to West Valley area along 33th South Street crossing over Jordan River. This is their step to stabilize ample water supply. But this water is not secured longer because it is the short term surplus water of the Provo River Project, and Salt Lake City will exercise full share of its own water right after 1990. Then, as the second step, they have to go to tap C. U. P. (Central Utah Project) water via Jordan Valley Water Purification Plant and after 1988 the new supply system has gone into operation. Although there are very closely urban functional connection between Salt Lake City and West Valley City, each of them have their own water supply systems independently. Salt Lake City had participated into the Provo River Project and obtained the water right on Deer Creek Reservoir water. During 1981-85, under the 'Capital Improvement Program', Salt Lake City had constructed major distribution lines and storage capacities spending millions of dollars. But this is only along with major reinforcement within the existing system. Regarding the water supply and management systems, longer term issues of concern are dominated by problems of water availability and development of fiscal resources to meet general levels of water demand, while shorter term problems have as their focal point the satisfaction of temporarily varying demands for water in cost effective ways. And Salt Lake City has been prosperous on favorable circumstances at the expense of other municipalities that have accepted and absorbed new dwellers whose place of works are within Salt Lake City corporate limits. West Valley City is a typical one of such cases. Because Salt Lake City has nothing to do with the former problems, it has been able to avoid newly expanded areas of water service that is the dominant factor making the marginal water service cost very high. On the other hand, West Valley City have to purchase their culinary water at their own expenses. It seems that the people of the West Valley City are unfavorable to enjoy their life with ample water at a low cost. But we can expect that they will overcome those traditional deficient and wasteful water consumption way of life and create new one. They will develop water saving technology and create life style that can use water more effectively and ingeniously.