Eagle Mountain residents living in the city's center don't need to worry about being able to flush their toilets, at least for the time being.

The City Council on Tuesday approved spending up to $30,000 to upgrade the South Service Area (City Center) Wastewater Treatment plant. That means the sewer system will meet the needs of continued growth over the next 18 months while a new wastewater treatment plant is constructed.

According to a report from City Engineer Chris Trusty, the improvements to the system will allow approximately 663 new homes to be built in the area before the newer and larger system is finished.

The new wastewater treatment plant, which is planned to process 600,000 gallons per day, is expected to be completed in May 2009. But Trusty said that if the city chooses to stay with the current plan, the treatment plant would be at capacity when it opens in 2009.

According to Mayor Don D. Richardson, the city is looking at options for doubling the capacity of the new plant to 1.2 million gallons per day for approximately $2 million more.

City officials blame political and staff turnover for the delay of the construction of the new plant. It was originally approved by the City Council in 2005 and planned to be completed in July 2007.

Councilman David Blackburn, who has been on the council since 2004, said, "The biggest delay is from turnover of staff and political turnover as well. We have come so far now that a $2 million Band-Aid sounds cheap and it sounds good."

Eagle Mountain has had five mayors and two public works directors since the plan for the new wastewater treatment plant was approved in 2005.

While the upgrades to the existing plant and the building of the new wastewater treatment facility will be costly, Richardson is confident that the future looks optimistic for Eagle Mountain's infrastructure.

"The future is brighter than it's ever been in Eagle Mountain," he said. "We have one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of our city. It will put us in a great position."

Richardson also said that 30 percent of the city's water is used on parks and open space.

The new treatment plant will have a water reuse capability that will supply 25 percent of the parks' irrigation water in the future.

"Twenty-five percent more water frees up water rights. It's a great gift to the city," he said.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C1.