PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment City of Provo’s Long-Term Sustainability for Provo’s Water Supply

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is proposing to fund the City of Provo’s Long-Term Sustainability for Provo’s Water Supply project (Project). Funding would be provided through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program, Fiscal Year 2021, as authorized by the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) of 2018. The purpose of the BRIC grant program is to proactively invest in hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks that communities face from disasters and natural hazards. FEMA has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA), as the lead agency, in cooperation with other federal agencies having specific interest or expertise related to the Project. The purpose of the EA is to analyze the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action, and to determine whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). 

The purpose of the proposed action is to create a sustainable water supply for Provo City in order to mitigate the effects of long-term drought and build resilience by increasing the City’s reliable year-round water supply, including during times of drought. The proposed action is needed to provide long-term sustainability in Provo’s water supply and mitigate the impacts from drought currently impacting all of Provo residents and surrounding communities who share the aquifer.

Alternatives discussed in this EA include no action and the proposed action. The proposed action is to construct an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) system, which would include construction of a new water treatment plant (WTP) and approximately 9,000 feet of new piping infrastructure, along with a new pump station. The water would be diverted from the Provo River, treated to meet culinary standards, and piped to Rock Canyon Creek using a combination of new and existing municipal infrastructure. The water would be discharged as surface water into existing natural and historical stream channels in order to replenish the aquifer. Operating capacity of the facility would be limited to approved water rights available to the project proponent.

The proposed WTP would be in the vicinity of the intersection of West 2230 North and Freedom Boulevard (40.2622, -111.6620). New distribution line installation would include approximately 2,850 feet of 36-inch diameter pipe from the new WTP to the existing 36-inch culinary line near Stadium Avenue at Canyon Road. An existing 36-inch line would carry the treated water to the existing pump station near 900 E and Temple View Drive. A new pump station would be built at that location. From the new pump station, a new 24-inch distribution pipeline would run north and east to transport the water approximately 6,400 feet to a discharge point in Rock Canyon Creek. 

The Draft EA has been prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA); Executive Order (EO) 11988, Floodplain Management; EO 11990, Wetlands Protection; EO 12898, Environmental Justice; and EO 14008, Climate Change; other federal laws, regulations, and FEMA policies for compliance with those laws and regulations including 44 CFR Part 9 and FEMA Directive 108-1 and Instruction 108-1-1, for the purpose of assessing the potential impacts of the proposed action on the human and natural environment. The Draft EA summarizes the purpose of and need for the project, alternatives considered, the affected environment, and potential environmental consequences of the project. 

The EA is available for review and comment and can be viewed on and/or downloaded on Provo’s website at https://www.provo.org/departments/public-works/water-resources and https://www.provo.org/about-us/public-notices or on FEMA’s website at https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/environmental-historic/nepa-repository. Additionally, a hardcopy of the draft EA is available for review at Provo Public Works, 1377 S 350 E Provo, UT 84606.

The comment period will conclude 30 days after the initial publication of this Public Notice on October 22, 2023. Please provide comments in writing and send to the FEMA contact listed below. Comments must be received within 30 days of the publication of this notice. To provide comments on the proposed Project please contact Richard Myers at FEMA Region 8 by email at fema-r8ehp@fema.dhs.gov and include ‘Provo ASR’ in the subject line, or by U.S. Mail at Denver Federal Center, Building 710, Box 25267, Denver, Colorado 80225-0267 Attn: Richard Myers. 

If no substantive comments are received, the Draft EA and associated FONSI will become final. Substantive comments received will be addressed as appropriate in the Final EA and/or FONSI.