The History of Benson Culinary Water District
On 8 January 1991 the Cache County Council approved the organization of the Benson Culinary Water Improvement District for the purpose of constructing and operating a culinary public water system in Benson. Prior to this time, the residents of Benson had struggled with individual private wells, which were plagued with high levels of iron and sulfur. Stained house foundations, sidewalks, bath fixtures and clothes were common. Foul tastes were also present in many of these wells.
The first board members appointed by the council--Cecil Archibald, Nick Galloway, DelRay Hobbs, Lee Reese and Jay Ricks--were instrumental in getting the district organized and the water system constructed. Funding was obtained from Farmer's Home Administration, the Utah Safe Drinking Water Committee, the Utah Water Resources Board, and a CDBG block grant. Each resident was also required to pay $1000 for a connection in advance.
With Ron Johnson as project engineer, the Benson Well was drilled west of Smithfield by Robert E. Lee Drilling Co. and the reservoir, pump house and distribution system were constructed by the George Johanson Construction Co. of Pleasant Grove.
The system was completed in the fall of 1993 and most residents were connected within a few months. Since that time, the district has grown from about 130 initial connections to nearly 225 connections in 2008.