Riverton planners approve sewage treatment plant

RIVERTON — After months of debate and deadlock, the Planning Commission on Thursday gave its approval to plans for a controversial river-bottoms sewage treatment plant.

By a tight 4-3 vote, the commission granted the South Valley Sewer District a conditional-use permit, giving the district permission to use the land, between 13100 South and 13500 South on the west banks of the Jordan River, for the plant — if it meets a host of conditions.

But residents opposing the plant vowed to continue to fight it.

"This decision by the Riverton Planning Commission was a complete disappointment," Great Salt Lakekeeper Jeff Salt said after the vote, suggesting the commission gave into pressure from city staff that has supported the permit. "This ain't over yet. This is a bad decision for the public, for water use, for the environment."

The district says the plant is necessary, will be safe and will save sewage district ratepayers $1 million a year for the next 30 years. City officials foresee a boon to residents in increased access to secondary water for irrigation.

But residents worry about health and safety issues, aesthetics and reduced property values.

The permit has gone before the commission for several votes in the past — the debate has gone on in the commission since October 2004, including several lengthy public hearings, but consistent tie votes stopped the city from either granting or outright denying the permit.

The latest issue tying up the decision was calls from the residents for an amendment to the 208 Plan, a 1972 area water-use plan that has never been updated and that lays out countywide water-quality planning.

The residents have said the county needs to complete a study and a public hearing process looking into whether the site is the best choice for the plant and whether it will have too negative an effect on the area. After that process, the county needs to amend the 208 Plan to make way for the plant — preferably before city approval, residents have said.

But the city — and, lately, the county — say that while a 208 amendment is a necessary part of the process, it does not need to be the first part.

"The (County) Council recognizes that the issuance of a conditional-use permit by Riverton is not contingent upon the prior amendment of the 208 Water Quality Management Plan," according to a letter sent to the commission by the county District Attorney's Office.