Water, Sewer & Utility Systems Design

Every building, every home, and every business in Southern Utah depends on underground utility infrastructure — water mains that deliver culinary water to kitchens and fire hydrants, sewer systems that remove waste safely, storm drains that protect streets and properties from flash flooding, and dry utility conduits that carry power, gas, and fiber. American Consulting & Engineering's utility engineers design these systems for developments of all sizes across Washington County, coordinating closely with the agencies and providers that review, approve, and operate them.

Water System Design for new developments in Washington County requires coordination with the Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD), the region's primary culinary water provider. American Consulting & Engineering sizes water distribution mains to meet domestic demand and fire flow requirements, designs service connection laterals for individual lots or buildings, positions fire hydrants per spacing and coverage requirements, and prepares the meter vault and backflow prevention details the WCWCD requires. We perform hydraulic analyses confirming that system pressure and flow meet local standards under peak demand conditions, including fire flow scenarios — a critical checkpoint that the WCWCD requires before approving a new water main extension.

Sewer System Design routes gravity collection mains from individual lots and buildings to connection points on the existing municipal sewer system. Our engineers select pipe sizes and slopes that provide adequate flow velocity to prevent solids from settling — a particular challenge in flat or low-lying areas of Washington County. We design manholes at alignment changes and at the specified maximum spacing, design drop manholes where significant elevation changes occur, and evaluate whether lift stations are required where gravity flow to the existing system is not feasible. When lift stations are necessary, we prepare pump selection criteria and force main design to match the station's pumping capacity.

Storm Drain Design in Southern Utah demands respect for the region's intense monsoon storms. Flash flooding is a genuine public safety concern across Washington County, and both local jurisdictions and FEMA have specific requirements for storm water management in new developments. American Consulting & Engineering performs hydrologic analysis to calculate design-storm runoff volumes and peak flow rates, sizes catch basins and inlet structures to capture runoff efficiently, designs pipe networks to convey that runoff without surcharging, and designs detention or retention basins where downstream capacity constraints require on-site storage. We also prepare the FEMA floodplain documentation required for projects adjacent to or within regulated flood zones.

Dry Utility Coordination encompasses the planning and easement documentation for power, natural gas, telecommunications, and cable facilities within a new development. While dry utilities are typically installed by Rocky Mountain Power, Dominion Energy, and telecom providers, the developer is responsible for providing the conduit corridors, easements, and trench alignments those providers need. American Consulting & Engineering coordinates with each utility provider to establish trench alignments that don't conflict with wet utilities, identifies required easement widths and configurations, and ensures the final subdivision plat accurately reflects all utility easements.

UDOT Utility Permits are required for any utility installation within Utah Department of Transportation right-of-way. When development projects require water, sewer, storm drain, or dry utility crossings of state highways — a common situation in Washington County's fast-growing corridors — American Consulting & Engineering prepares the utility permit applications and supporting engineering documentation UDOT requires. We manage the permit process from initial application through approval and coordinate with UDOT inspectors during installation.