OGDEN, Utah — Ogden City is receiving millions in loans from the federal government to make much needed water infrastructure repairs for residents and surrounding areas.
The infrastructure project is being called the biggest in the city's history since it was first built.
"I don't think you can understate the value of water for a city, so I think this project provides for survival, as well as a future of sustainability," said Mayor Ben Nadolsi.
The project is set to replace decades-old pipes that carry drinking water to the city. The pipes run for miles under Pineview Reservoir and through Ogden Canyon, so the goal is to proactively replace them before something breaks and needs to be repaired..
"Hopefully, in the next year, we will begin construction and then phase it out and complete construction," the mayor explained.
This move is happening now because of a $42 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Loan through a bipartisan law. which was actually voted against by five of six members in Utah's congressional delegation.
Overall, it may take up to four years to build the pipeline.
"We want to make sure that we do it in a way that doesn't disrupt the public too much, but does it in a way that is expedient so that we can secure the water source for the whole city for the next 100 years," said Nadolski.
The mayor has made the project a priority since his campaign.
"We're able to save over $5 million dollars just in interest alone, over the life of this," he said Friday. "That's how significant this announcement is."
Another perk is that will possibly created hundreds of jobs for those in the area.
"A lot of people working on the construction of it, the design, the planning, the public outreach, all of the logistics, public outreach, transportation changes," the mayor added. "When you start thinking about all the things required to build a project like this, you need an army of people."
