Riverton officials identify property where illegal irrigation connection forced boil order

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]Tonight, people are questioning how a culinary line mixed with irrigation water in Riverton.

[00:00:05]>> And now neighbors and business owners, they want to know how it happened in the first place and whether it could happen again.

[00:00:11]Liv Kelleher joins us from Riverton tonight. And Liv, what answers are people getting from the city tonight?

[00:00:19]Well, Heidi, I spoke with the city who told me that this happened when there was an illegal cross of irrigation and culinary water at a property within the city boundaries. They said that they've identified that property and they do not believe that it was done maliciously, but it has not only caused a nuisance for people, but a financial burden for homeowners and business owners alike.

[00:00:38]Looks drinkable, but you know, never know. Nick Jackson lives within the affected boundary of Riverton. We bought 428 count cases and then we bought 5 gallons of water because we drink a lot of water in this house. He is a bodybuilder, his wife's a busy mom, and they have a young active daughter. I'm like, how long have we been drinking this water? Am I going to get sick from drinking it the past couple days? To this point, none of the tests conducted have shown any level of contamination. I reached out to Riverton Mayor Tish Baroker to ask how these two lines mixed and what can be done to ensure it doesn't happen again. A representative told me she would like to speak after they received the results of a secondary water test. She put out this video today. This is why it is so important that all residents and businesses comply with Riverton's ordinance to ensure that there is no connection between those two systems.

[00:01:34]>> In the meantime, all food establishments within the boundary have been forced to close.

[00:01:38]>> just about the money, but we need money to stay up and running, you know? The Salt Lake Health Department says these closures will remain in effect until clean water can be restored. Haysam Alsiyudi, the manager of Halal Apenios in Riverton, has said this could mean 1 to 2 days without business. It impacts us pretty hard, you know, because that's what we rely on. I recognize that this has created a significant inconvenience for all of you. Mayor Burroca encouraged people to support local restaurants once the order is lifted.

[00:02:09]Now, while the order is in place, the health department's recommending to boil your water for at least 1 minute. They say this is expected to be in place until at least tomorrow. Reporting live in Riverton, the Culher KUTV 2 News.