DDW-2025-001653

February 11, 2025
Matthew Chambers
Sorrel River Ranch
17 UT-128
Moab, UT 84535
Subject:Operating Permit, Sorrel River Ranch Water Treatment Plant Expansion (TP001); Construction of CT Clearwell Tank (ST003) and CT Booster Station (PF001), Sorrel Water Softener
(TP002); Sorrel River Ranch, System #10033, File #12378 & 10556.
Dear Mr. Chambers:The Division of Drinking Water (the Division) received your request for a (Permanent) Operating Permit for Sorrel River Ranch Water Treatment Plant Expansion (TP001)
project including Construction of CT Clearwell Tank (ST003) and CT Booster Station (PF001); Sorrel Water Softener (TP002) project from your consultant, Kelly Chappell, of Ensign Engineering
on January 20, 2025. The Division issued the Temporary Operating Permit on November 26, 2019.Our understanding of the project is the construction of a 9,000-gallon (underground) XERXES
fiberglass water tank, inlet/outlet piping, site work, and drain/overflow piping. This plan included the installation of a baffled 9,000-gallon Xerxes potable water tank including 4
vertical baffles about half the width of the tank and an additional perforated baffle about 7/8 the width of the tank.This clear well tank receives water from Sorrel Ranch WTP (TP001)
and provides contact time (CT) requirements to meet 0.5-log inactivation of giardia. Sorrel River Ranch located near Moab, Utah, currently operates the 25-gallon per minute (gpm) Sorrel
Ranch WTP (TP001). The water system is required to attain a CT of 33.0 to meet the 0.5-log Giardia removal/inactivation.The Sorrel Ranch WTP (TP001) currently operates at 25 gpm, but
the master plan calls for expanding the water treatment plant capability to 50 gpm in the future. Both flow conditions were analyzed for CT calculations. A minimum volume of 4,200 gallons
is required for a flow rate of 25 gpm, and a minimum volume of 8,300 gallons is required for a flow rate of 50 gpm.The water flows out of the CT Clearwell Tank (ST003) into a sump that
contains a 4-inch submersible centrifugal pump booster station (CT Booster Station, PF001) designed for 25 gpm and 175 total dynamic head (TDH). To prevent short-circuiting, a water
level controller is installed in the tank and turns the submersible pump off when the tank’s volume nears 4,200 gallons.With a minimum slope at the site, the outlet of the overflow pipe
is approximately 14 feet above the normal water level in the Colorado River. The existing pump piping was reconfigured so that water from the treatment plant drains by gravity to the
CT Clearwell Tank (ST003). CT Booster Station (PF001) pumps from a suction up to 10 feet below the pump, which is approximately the bottom of the pump. The CT Booster Station (PF001)
pumps water to the storage tanks (ST001) and (ST002) and is controlled by the water level monitor in the tank and the flow control valve on the discharge piping.Sorrel Water Softener
(TP002)Sorrel River water system supplies water to a hotel that must use soft water for laundry purposes. Sorrel installed an Aqua Tech IX Ion Exchange Softener to reduce the hardness
of the water. This ion exchange softener works on the principle that the sodium ions in the resin bed are displaced by the magnesium and calcium ions because they are positively charged.
The resin bed is periodically regenerated with a brine solution to continue the process. Thus, this ion exchange in water softening involves the exchange of the hardness minerals in
the water, chiefly calcium, and magnesium, for sodium minerals. The facility consists of a 36-inch by 72-inch Aquatech ion exchange softener to treat water at 25 gpm. The single water
softener is an Applied Media, Model No. W- S3672EMS, with a flow capacity of 35 gpm, backwash at 35 gpm, softening resin of 17 cubic feet, cylindrical resin tank of 36-inch by 72-inch
and cylindrical brine tank of 39-inch by 60-inch.The key features of the softener facility are:An ion exchange water softener exchanges the hard minerals dissolved in water for sodium.
This soft mineral is contained in the softener resin beads and does not build up on surfaces as scale deposits.When the resin is in the base state, the negatively charged resin beads
hold positively charged sodium ions. As the calcium and magnesium make contact with the resin beads in their travel through the resin tank, they displace the sodium ions from the exchange
sites.Eventually all of the resin exchange sites are occupied by calcium and magnesium and no further softening can take place. The resin is said to be exhausted and must be regenerated.The
resin of the softener is regenerated with a brine solution. During regeneration, the flow of service water from the softener is stopped. Brine is drawn from the brine tank, mixing water
with the dedicated block salt in the reservoir. The brine solution flows through the resin, contacting the resin beads loaded with calcium and magnesium ions.All exchange sites are taken
up by sodium ions. The resin is said to be regenerated and ready for the next softening cycle.Temporary Operating Permit issued by the Division on November 26, 2019, had outstanding
conditions which were fulfilled by Sorrel River Ranch as follows:Rule R309-525-12(12)(b) defines the minimum detention time for flocculation as30 minutes. The newly installed Aquafloc
Filter (Filter 2) is rated at 28.21 minutes for the flocculation detention time. The same as the existing treatment filter that has been in use at the facility since before 1999. IFE
turbidity meters have been installed on each filter unit's finished water. The system collected water quality data and demonstrated treatment performance for at least one year for each
filter and submitted the data to the Division for review. This included the recording of the IFE turbidity value for each filter and filtration flowrate for each filter, when in operation.
Water quality data was as per routine monthly reporting requirements as documented in the addendum of the Temporary OP letter. At the completion of one year of operation, the water system
submitted the recorded IFE turbidity data to the Division. The Division evaluated the data which was satisfactory. An exception to R309-525-12(2)(b) is justified. An updated surface
water treatment report will be issued by the Division to remove the IFE turbidity monitoring.The data for each Filter to be collected included:a.The IFE turbidity of each Aquafloc Filter
(Filter 1 and Filter 2).i.The turbidity results of each IFE were monitored at a minimum frequency of every 15 minutes, or shorter.ii.The maximum turbidity value for each IFE in each
4-hour period was reported.b.The individual filtration flowrate of each filter was monitored at a minimum frequency of every 15 minutes, or shorter.i.The maximum individual filtration
flowrate for each filter for each day was reported.This letter provides a summary of the Division of Drinking Water’s decision to issue an Operating Permit for Sorrel River Ranch Water
Treatment Plant Expansion project water treatment plant (identified as TP001 and TP002 in the Division’s database).
We have received the following information prior to issuing the Operating Permit for Sorrel River Ranch Water Treatment Plant:
Certification of Rule Conformance with plan approval conditions by a professional engineer
As-built or record drawings.
Satisfactory bacteriological results as evidence of proper disinfection and flushing.
Evidence of O&M manual delivery.
Water quality data
We have determined that all conditions for operating permit issuance have been met. On this basis, an Operating Permit for Sorrel River Ranch Water Treatment Plant Expansion (TP001);
Construction of CT Clearwell Tank (ST003) and CT Booster Station (PF001). Sorrel Water Softener (TP002) are hereby issued as constituted by this letter. You may now place this plant
in service in your water system.
Please maintain a copy of this letter with your permanent records for future reference. If this Operating Permit changes any of your monitoring requirements, the staff of the Water Quality
Monitoring and Standards Section will follow up to provide an updated monitoring schedule for you. Please contact Mark Berger, Water Quality Monitoring and Standards Manager, at (801)
641-6457 for assistance regarding the monitoring and reporting requirements for your water system.The issuance of this Operating Permit resolves your water system’s deficiencies related
to code G001 for PF001, ST003 and TP002. An updated IPS report isavailable at https://waterlink.utah.gov. Please contact Jennifer Yee at [phone] or [e-mail] for questions
related to your water system’s IPS report or deficiencies.
If you have any questions regarding this Operating Permit, please contact Nagendra Dev, P.G., of this office, at [phone], or Michael Newberry, P.G., Permitting and Engineering
Manager, at [phone].

Sincerely,
Russell Seeley, P.E.
Assistant Director
ND/mrn/klmcc:Orion Rogers - Env.l Health Director, Southeast Utah Health Department, [e-mail]
Kelly Chappell, Ensign Engineering, [e-mail]
Matthew Chambers, Sorrel River Ranch, [e-mail]
David Ciani, Sorrel River Ranch, [e-mail] Keith Hill, Sorrel River Ranch, [e-mail]
Craig Shipley, Sorrel River Ranch, [e-mail]
David Kruse, Division of Drinking Water, [e-mail]
Nathan Langston, Sorrel River Ranch, [e-mail]
Sarah Page, Division of Drinking Water, [e-mail]
Jennifier Yee, Division of Drinking Water, [e-mail]
Curtis Page, P.E., DEQ Southeast District, [e-mail]
Nagendra Dev, P.E., Division of Drinking Water, [e-mail] WTP Surface Water (B)[Right click. Select “Update Field” to update file name]