APPLE VALLEY, Utah — After more than 20 years of dealing with contaminated drinking water, residents in the Cedar Point area of Apple Valley now have access to clean water thanks to a new pipeline.
Officials dedicated a 5.5-mile, $3.5 million water pipeline Monday morning that brings clean water to the Cedar Point portion of the rural southern Utah community.
The state declared a water emergency in Apple Valley in 2024 after Cedar Point water was tested to have two to three times the permitted amount of radium — a known cancer-causing element.
"I've been concerned about the water my whole life out here," Kevin Sair said. "I mean, without water, you've got nothing, you know? Without air, you've got five minutes. Without water, you've got a couple days, you know? Without power, you can last a little longer."
Sair, an Apple Valley resident, expressed his relief that the water issues have finally been resolved.
"It's fixed. I'm just so excited for our community and especially for Cedar Point and all the citizens out there now. They've got good, clean drinking water," Sair said.
Apple Valley Mayor Mike Farrar said one resident took a bath, rather than a shower, for the first time in 15 years this weekend. He noted that Apple Valley residents can now turn on their taps and see that the water isn't brown and doesn't smell like sulfur.
