Draper's City Council unanimously approved a surf park with a 4-million-gallon wave pool as part of a westside development, the Draper Journal reported.

The project, called Veranda West, sits at 13708 S. 600 West in one of Draper's designated Transit Station Districts, just west of I-15 off Bangerter Highway. The vote came during a statewide drought, putting water use at the center of the discussion.

The pool can produce 8-foot waves and holds roughly six times the volume of a standard Olympic pool. Developer representative Jackson Shepperd of Wasatch Residential Group told the council the facility would be "net neutral" on water because a recirculation system and sloped pool deck capture runoff, while precipitation replenishes what evaporates.

"We're counting on snow and rain despite this dry year," Shepperd said.

A Water Usage Table the developers presented in June projected the surf park would consume 6 to 9 million gallons per year. By comparison, high-density housing allowed in the same transit zone would use 28 million gallons, and commercial development would use 109 million gallons annually.

No residents spoke for or against the project at either hearing.

Mayor Troy Walker, along with Councilmembers Tasha Lowery, Fred Lowry and Bryn Johnson, voted in favor. Walker said the developer already had water allotted for apartments or offices on the site.

"We looked at it … and the surf park is much less intense water use than what they could do," Walker said. He added that the project's retail component will generate sales tax revenue for the city.

The 8.8-acre surf park anchors a larger development of 418 residential units, including more than 100 townhomes already built and nearly 300 apartments, plus a retail village, KSL reported. The pool will be heated and open year-round, with public hours and separate member-only sessions.

Shepperd said the facility will be the first wave pool in the United States to serve as an Olympic surf training venue. No independent confirmation from USA Surfing or another governing body appeared in public records.

Planning Commission Chair Andrew Adams said he was initially uneasy about the wave pool but grew comfortable after learning the system is projected to be net neutral. He contrasted it with the lakes at South Jordan's Daybreak development, which he said are not net neutral. Commissioner Christine Green cast the only dissenting vote at the commission level before the panel forwarded a positive recommendation.

Developers said they hope to break ground in September 2026 and open the wave pool by September 2027.