Well will alleviate the expense of water at cemetery

Intermountain Catholic

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Deacon Silvio Mayo, Chancellor of the Diocese of Salt Lake City (front left), and Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery employees Mike Jansen, Carlos Martinez, and Phillip Holland watch as the drill nears 200 feet hoping to hit water at the site where a well is under construction.IC photo by Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — "A well is under construction at Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Salt Lake City.

"We started drilling April 9, and struck water April 20," said Curt Rosentreter, Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery director. "We struck water at 280 feet down. The drillers are now down 340 feet, and they will keep drilling looking for a flow of water. They are now getting a flow of 100 gallons an hour. They would like a little more to allow for a potential change in the water table to make sure there will be enough water in the event of a drought. They plan on digging 450 feet deep before they are finished."

"One of the ongoing expenses of the cemetery has been providing culinary water for the cemetery’s acres of grass," said Vicar General Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald. "For that reason we surveyed the possibility of digging a well on cemetery property. After some surveys and legal pursuits, water shares were purchased and authorization was obtained to dig the well."

"We have been waiting a long time to dig this well," said Rosentreter, "In the spring of 2004, we were discussing long-term water costs, maintenance issues, and revenue, when the idea of the well came up. Since then water has become a major issue.

"Water costs have almost quadrupled at this point, and have evolved into an important and current issue," said Rosentreter. "In Utah, as in many western states, you have to have water rights. We need a number of water rights to irrigate the 18 acres here at the cemetery, which are costly. It took a year and a half to two years to do that."

Rosentreter said from there they had to apply to the State of Utah for permission to dig a well, which was a lengthy process in determining the impact of the well in this area. We filed the application, which took more time, as well as engaging a driller.

"We were hoping to get started in February, but weather prevented the driller to free himself from other jobs so he could start on this job," said Rosentreter.

"The water from the well will water the entire cemetery," said Rosentreter. "Even in dry years, we should have plenty of water available in terms of our capabilities. We will completely disengage from Salt Lake City’s culinary water system as part of this process. However, the cemetery buildings and facility will remain on city water.

"Even though we will not be restricted as to when we can water, we will still want to restrict ourselves to nighttime watering, simply because that is the most efficient way to water. When you water during the day, the water does not sink in as far, and a lot of the water is lost through evaporation.

"There are wells all around us," said Rosentreter. "Mount Olivet Cemetery has a well, the University of Utah has several wells, Salt Lake City Cemetery had a well, but it was more shallow, and a very old well. Being part of the Park District, they have better access to it than we do. But they now use culinary water.

"We are going to be involved in supporting the driller with our backhoe and our staff," said Rosentreter. "We are also having to bring a new power line in to support the pumping station, and we will be participating in that in terms of trenching across the cemetery.

"With those activities and the fact that the weather has pushed us back to a late start in our springtime activities in terms of getting the cemetery ready for Memorial Day, it is going to be helpful if families come up the week before Memorial Day and check their grave sites if they can, and help us by trimming around the headstones," said Rosentreter. "We are going to do everything we can to get these projects done, but I am concerned.

"At the same time, we also have one irrigation water line that runs under the road above the circle and the altar in the cemetery, that needs to be removed," said Rosentreter. "That means we will have to pull up part of the road and put in a new water line, and then blacktop the road. So we have that going on as well.

"This is out of character for us," said Rosentreter. "We are usually well into getting the grounds cleaned up and starting to put sod on the winter graves by now. So it will be difficult to get all of this done in four weeks and as ready as we would like to be for Memorial Day. It is the one day of the year when we like to have every aspect of the cemetery looking its best."

Msgr. Fitzgerald said for a number of years, now, the Diocese of Salt Lake City has been implementing a long term strategy to enhance Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery and to expand its capability to serve the needs of Utah’s Catholics. Two mausoleums, as well as a columbarium were constructed in order to provide additional burial sites for the remains of the faithful.

"At the same time, areas of the grass have been replanted and new roadways and curbing were installed," said Msgr. Fitzgerald. "Some years earlier, a new marble altar at the center of the cemetery was built to replace the previous structure.

"Two years ago the main entrance was realigned and the deteriorating gate was replaced with a more modern structure," said Msgr. Fitzgerald. "At the same time a legal effort was begun to repossess previously purchased graves where there had been no contact with survivors for more than 50 years."