ST. GEORGE — Washington County is growing at such a phenomenal rate that water management officials predict water supplies will "run out" by the year 2020 unless the state constructs the Lake Powell pipeline.

"The need is driven by the rapidly growing municipal and industrial water demands. Agricultural water demands are declining," said Eric Millis, deputy director of water resources for the Utah Division of Natural Resources, during a presentation Thursday to the Utah Bankers Association meeting in St. George. The group spent Thursday and Friday discussing the region's future when it comes to agriculture and water supplies.

Washington County's water supply of 72,000 acre feet will only last another 13 years, serving about 200,000 residents, according to Ron Thompson, manager of the Washington County Water Conservancy District. There are about 115,000 people living in Washington County now.

"They do have some other projects coming on line and there is some conversion of agricultural water and even some reuse, but Washington County will need this water supply over time," Millis said. "We think it will take until 2020 to complete the Lake Powell pipeline project."

The Lake Powell pipeline project consists of about 120 miles of 66-inch pipe that would draw water from Lake Powell using a pumping station placed immediately upstream from Glen Canyon Dam. From there the pipeline would deliver about 70,000 acre-feet of water to Sand Hollow Reservoir near Hurricane in Washington County.

A turnout along the way would provide 10,000 acre-feet of water to Kane County. The cost of delivering that untreated water would be about $350 per acre-foot, Millis said.

Another 38 miles of 30-inch pipe could move another 20,000 acre feet of water from Sand Hollow Reservoir on to Iron County, although the uphill route would mean more expensive water for the area.

"It would take a number of pumping stations to get the water up to Cedar City, and the cost could approach $1,000 an acre foot," Millis told the association members.

The entire project, which is still in its initial planning stages, is estimated to cost more than $500 million.

"We expect there will be legal challenges," said Millis. "We expect it will have its detractors such as those opposed to growth and those who want to drain Lake Powell. There are some legitimate and not-so-legitimate environmental issues. People get uptight about the cost and how the state is going to pay for it."

Millis said the pipeline is a state-developed and state-funded project.

"This is Utah's first (state-funded) major water project. It is beyond the means of these three districts to pay on their own, so the state is stepping in," he said.

Federal assistance is a "remote option" that is not seen as a reliable source of funding, Millis added.

Eventually, water districts in Washington, Kane and Iron counties are expected to repay the state for their share of the project.

Gov. Jon Huntsman signed the Lake Powell Pipeline Development Act last year, which directed the state Board of Water Resources to develop the project, Millis said.

"The urgency to begin this project is real,' he said.

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E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com