MAPLETON — A moratorium has stopped development until early July while city leaders revamp the ordinance that governs sewer hookups.
The City Council is getting ready to sign an agreement with Spanish Fork to purchase more sewer capacity. The City Council also plans to nearly double the sewer connection fee from about $1,700 to more than $3,000 to cover costs, he said.
Mapleton owns 11.8 percent of Spanish Fork's sewer treatment plant, where Mapleton effluent goes for treatment. The new contract will increase Mapleton's ownership to 23 percent. Spanish Fork city officials have been waiting for Mapleton to sign the new contract before going ahead to increase treatment plant capacity. Mapleton officials stalled on buying more capacity from Spanish Fork while they studied the feasibility of building their own facility. But that idea was shelved when they learned it would cost $5.7 million. Mapleton's share of the treatment plant upgrade is $1.53 million.
Mapleton has several planned subdivisions pending that can't go forward unless the city adds more sewer capacity, including a 170-acre community of 134 lots on Mapleton's south end.
With the new Mapleton contract signed, the upgrade will give Spanish Fork the ability to handle a population of about 31,000. The city now has about 23,000 residents with a 4 percent annual growth over the past 12 years. Without taking in Mapleton effluent, Spanish Fork would have a sewage capacity for 37,000 residents with the upgrade.