Questions & Requests

To shut off drinking water:

The drinking water valve is generally found inside your home in the basement. To locate it, find the drinking water meter on your property and follow the line directly toward your house. The valve will be close to where the line appears to enter the home. The valve will be either a ball valve (most common) or a gate valve. 
For additional instructions on shutting off the outside Drinking Water service, see this video.

To shut off pressurized irrigation:

The pressurized irrigation valve will be located either in a green or pink rectangular plastic box or metal lid that says "Irrigation" on it, and is found along the frontage of the property or on the property line. For additional instructions, see the video below.

Meters are typically located in the park strip and/or behind the sidewalk. The drinking water meter is found in a round, black cast-iron lid, and the words "Water Meter" will be on it. The pressurized irrigation meter is typically in a green plastic rectangular box. Newer homes (2018 and later) will have a round lid similar to the drinking water meter lid, but the words "Irrigation Meter" will be on it.

Call the Emergency/After Hours phone number: (801) 804-4446.

When water is flowing through your meter, it is actual usage that you are being billed for. Because the City only maintains up to the meter, anything beyond the meter approaching the home is the responsibility of the property owner. Follow these steps to locate and isolate a leak.

Basic steps:

• Turn off everything that uses water (make sure taps are completely off and toilets aren't cycling on and off).
• Check the water meter of the leaking system (drinking water or pressurized irrigation/sprinkler) and write down the current reading (including tenths).
• Check the meter again after one hour. If the meter has changed, you have a leak.

Isolating the leak:

• Shut off the water valve (inside your home for drinking water) and perform the meter check explained above. If water continues to flow through the meter after shutting off the valve inside your home or on your property, you know that the leak is outside your home between the meter and the home/the valve.
• Check for any soggy spots on your property/yard or grass that is a darker green color than the rest of the lawn.

City policy could change at any time, but currently the City does not have any special restrictions.

Spanish Fork City stands apart from most cities because it has an independent non-potable pressurized irrigation system that is metered. This conserves valuable drinking water by not using it to water lawns. It also encourages the conservation of pressurized irrigation water by charging for what is used.

The City has a policy requiring new developments to provide enough water to supply that development during dry years. That way, no matter what size the City grows to, we should have enough water even during dry years. We could have a water source fail which would then require restrictions, but we try to have backups and redundancies in our systems to minimize these risks.

Over the years the City has implemented several projects to promote water conservation, by providing training and incentives to residents to be water wise. We have installed irrigation control systems on several of our parks and City facilities so that we can control and monitor our own water use efficiently.

Water pressure varies throughout the city depending on the elevation of the home and the time of year. See this map showing the average water pressure for different areas in the city. If you would like to compare your water pressure to the average for your area, you can do so by purchasing a water pressure gauge online or at your local hardware store.

See this image for a map of the boundaries:

Click here for a downloadable copy of this map (PDF)

A common misconception is thinking that you have low pressure when in fact you may be experiencing low flow. Low flow occurs when you have an obstruction in your pipes or a faulty pressure reduction valve (PRV). Pressure throughout the City varies; however, the pressurized irrigation system has an average pressure of 45 psi. Flow is the volume of water measured in gallons per minute that passes through your water meter.

If your water pressure is too high or too low inside your home, you may need to have the pressure reduction valve adjusted. If you have a pressure reduction valve, it should be located in your home where the water enters the home. The pressure reduction valve will look similar to the picture below, and is usually located just after your home's interior shut-off valve.

It is recommended that you have a licensed plumber make any adjustments to your pressure reduction valve.

Submit a Service Request for a Pressurized Irrigation Handle/Valve.

By metering the secondary water, the water user is responsible for the gallons actually used which promotes water conservation. Metering also helps in tracking leaks in the customer's system. Spanish Fork City is committed to having an active Water Conservation Program that promotes the healthy and sustainable use of water.

We recommend designing sprinkler systems at 45 psi. For more information, visit our Pressurized Irrigation page. Additionally, check out this map of average PI pressure across the city (simply click the dot closest to your address.)

Depending on weather conditions, the system is typically energized in mid-April and drained in mid-October.

Most sprinkler systems are programmed to run between 6:00 PM and 10:00 AM. However, residents living in the wind fan area (where winds are high during those hours) should avoid watering at these hours. This is due to a phenomenon known as Wind Drift and Evaporation Loss in which you can lose a significant portion of the water you are attempting to apply directly to the wind. For more information about wind drift or the wind fan area, see the Smart Controller - Water Conservation page.

See the Water Conservation Program page.

Starting up:

• Clean your in-line filter.
• Run each zone to check for the following:
• Control valve leaks.
• Damaged sprinkler heads.
• Adjust your sprinkler clock to the recommended season settings for run days and run times.

Winterization:

• Shut off the stop and waste valve (video below) of the main valve that energizes your sprinkler system.
• Bleed off the pressure from your system by opening a hose bib. If your system continues to have pressurized flow after a couple of minutes, make sure that the main valve is completely off.
• With your sprinkler system turned off and de-pressurized, you could now clean your in-line filter conveniently.
• If your system has properly-installed King Drains (video), having the pressure off will allow your system to drain. If not, you may need to blow out your lines. It is recommended that you consult a professional if you need to blow out your sprinkler lines.
• Put your sprinkler controller in Standby or Off mode.
• Do you have a Rachio Smart Controller? Check out Rachio's winterization article for specific instructions on putting it in Standby mode.