Snyderville Basin water customers will get their chance to weigh in on a $20 million bond that could raise monthly bills 7% to 9% in 2027.

Mountain Regional Water Special Service District has scheduled a public hearing for Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m. at the Richins Building, 1885 West Ute Blvd., Park City. The hearing is the next step before the district can issue Water Revenue Bonds, Series 2026B, to fund the expansion of the Signal Hill Water Treatment Plant.

The Summit County Council, acting as Mountain Regional's governing board, authorized the bond on Aug. 26. According to the district's formal notice, the bonds would carry a maximum interest rate of 6% per year and mature in no more than 21 years. If held to maturity, the total principal and interest cost would reach roughly $23.9 million.

The bonds are revenue bonds, paid from water-system revenues rather than property taxes. That means the bond will not appear on the November ballot. The Sept. 16 hearing is the public's primary opportunity to comment.

Why the district needs the money

The Signal Hill plant, which pumps water from the Weber River to more than 6,000 customers across the Snyderville Basin, is being expanded to more than double its capacity from 2.6 million gallons per day to 5.6 million. District Engineer Sam Greenlie told the County Council on Aug. 26 that growth in Promontory and Silver Creek Village drove the need, the Park Record reported. The service area stretches from The Colony to the Morgan County line.

The project's price tag has ballooned. The district initially estimated $42.3 million. Updated estimates put the cost at roughly $58.8 million, according to Chief Financial Officer Steve Anderson's Aug. 26 presentation to the County Council. The district secured a $34 million federal loan in 2025 and hopes to draw only $15 million of the new $20 million authorization.

"We didn't think we'd be back this soon asking for more money, but as we've gotten through 90% of the design for our Signal Hill Water Treatment Plant, the costs are coming in significantly higher than they were estimated," General Manager Andy Garland told the County Council on Aug. 26, as reported by the Park Record.

What it means for bills

Anderson told the council that customers should expect a 7% to 9% rate increase in 2027, followed by 3% to 5% annual increases through 2033 and 4% to 6% increases from 2034 to 2040. A typical residential customer paying $155 a month in 2026 would pay $168 in 2027 and $204 in 2032, according to projections Anderson presented, KPCW reported.

The district already carries about $77.4 million in outstanding bonds secured by the same water revenues.

How to participate

Residents can speak at the Sept. 16 hearing at 6 p.m. at the Richins Building. Under Utah's Local Government Bonding Act, anyone with standing also has 30 days from the date the bond notice was posted to file a legal challenge to the resolution or the bonds themselves. After that window closes, no challenge may be brought.

Copies of the bond resolution, indenture and purchase agreement are available for inspection at Mountain Regional Water's office, 5739 Paintbrush Road, Park City, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.