SOUTH JORDAN CITY POSITION REGARDING FUTURE USE OF SECONDARY WATER (2006)
Secondary Water Zone Maps
Frequently Asked Questions on Secondary Water
Backflow Prevention Information
Secondary Water System Master Plan (Adopted October 2004) (3.54 MB)
Secondary Water Requirements for Developers

SECONDARY WATER POSITION REGARDING A CITY-WIDE PRESSURIZED IRRIGATION SYSTEM

On January 17, 2006, the City council approved and adopted the document entitled, 'Secondary Water Position Paper' explaining the city's official position regarding secondary water. This position is based off of the former secondary water committee recommendation and council adoption. The paper supercedes the secondary water system master plan which was adopted by the City Council in October 2004.

Problems with secondary water

If you are experiencing problems with the delivery of secondary water to your system, feel free to call South Jordan City Municipal Services at 253-5230. Problems with the delivery of secondary water may be the responsibility of the canal company, South Jordan City or your individual system. The canal company is responsible for water in the canal until it reaches the weir (lateral) that is controlled by the City. The City is then responsible for the delivery of the water from the canal to your home. Homeowners are responsible for water once it enters their system through the stop and waste valve.

If you need to contact the canal company please use the Secondary Water Zone Map or call Municipal Services to make sure you locate the appropriate canal company.

WHAT IS SECONDARY WATER?

Secondary water is irrigation water that comes directly from five (5) canals that run through South Jordan City. This water is non-potable water that has a lower quality than culinary water, and is unsafe to drink.

The secondary water supply system can be divided into the following three parts, canal companies, City distribution lines, and residential sprinkler systems, each with their own responsibility.

CANAL COMPANIES ROLE IN SECONDARY WATER

City Councils and staff, both past and present, have made great strides in obtaining water shares in the various canal companies that pass through South Jordan City. These shares acquired by South Jordan City give the right to access and use the water, not the right of ownership. The canals that run through South Jordan City are as follows:

(For information regarding maintenance or operation of the canal, please click on the above link)

For a list of all Utah canal companies, click here.

The canal water is pumped directly from Utah Lake into the canals. The water then travels north through South Jordan City. There is a misconception that canal companies are obligated to have water diverted into a canal and cannot shut off water until a specific date. The dates commonly cited are April 15 for delivery and October 15 for shut off.

These dates are only target dates set by the canal companies, and they are in no way legally obligated to meet these dates. The canal companies, on average, start delivery the first week in May and usually shut down the first week in October. Snow pack, reservoir levels, drought and weather play an important role in the availability of this irrigation water and these dates. If there has been a low snow pack the previous year, the canal companies may not open the gates until later in order to conserve the water existing in the reservoirs. By contrast, if it has been an exceptionally wet spring, the gates may stay closed longer in order to conserve water, as the ground may already be saturated. The canal companies may also shut off the gates in the event of heavy rains to avoid possible flood damage from the canals. This unreliability is part of the nature of secondary water.

The canal company also has the responsibility to clean and maintain the canal. This means all of the debris and weeds you may see on or in the canals are the responsibility of the canal company to clean. If you see a problem with the canal, please call the appropriate canal company.

CITY'S ROLE IN SECONDARY WATER

Each of these canals has weirs that divert water from the canal to the City's secondary water pipes. At this point, the City then delivers the water from the canal to the residents connections. The secondary water pipes feed various zones throughout the City. There are approximately one hundred fifty (150) miles of secondary water lines in South Jordan City. South Jordan's secondary water system is not a pressurized irrigation system. The amount of pressure received at your location is dependent upon the distance from the canal, the relative elevation of your property to the canal, the number of users within the zone, and the elevation of the water level within the canal. All of these factors will affect the pressure you may receive.

When the water is finally available for the season it can take anywhere from one to two weeks for South Jordan City to have the system up and running. When the water fills the pipes, the lines need to be flushed and tested for leaks. The winter season can be hard on pipes as the ground freezes and thaws, and often repairs are needed before the system is fully operational.

HOMEOWNER'S ROLE IN SECONDARY WATER

Your responsibility as a homeowner includes maintenance of the system from the stop and waste valve. Any breaks in pipes or sprinklers on the homeowner's side of the stop and waste valve are the homeowner's responsibility to have repaired. At the point you receive the water, the pressures may not be enough to run your sprinkler system, therefore we encourage the use of pumps at your property in order to achieve the pressures needed to meet your water system needs. These pumps should be equipped with automatic shut-offs in the case of low or no flows in order to avoid burning the pump up.

The water we receive from the canals is not filtered for debris. It is your responsibility to screen or filter at your point of delivery in order to avoid blocks to your system or sprinkler heads. As a homeowner, you should be aware of easements on your property. It is your responsibility to ensure that no structures are placed on these easements and that the City has access to the easements so repairs can be made (City Municipal Code 16.04.210 #11). By doing so, the City can avoid damage to any structure and expedite the repair process, thus ensuring a faster return of water to the residents in the area.

WHO DOES AND WHO DOESN'T HAVE SECONDARY WATER AND WHY

While it would be nice if all of South Jordan City's residents had secondary water access, this is not the case. The fact is, more than half of the residents in South Jordan do not have access to secondary water.

There are many reasons why residents do not have access to secondary water. Generally, these subdivisions are older and were built before South Jordan City required the installation of a secondary water system. Since the system is a gravity fed system, homes west of the Welby Jacob Canal are above the canal in elevation; therefore, the water generally is not pumped up to them. Some homes in the City are on private irrigation systems and have their own secondary water shares and maintain and operate their own systems.

There are some subdivisions that have pipes in place for a secondary water system but do not have access to secondary water. These systems were placed in anticipation of a future tie in to a secondary system. These lines are considered dry secondary lines. If or when it becomes feasible the dry lines will be charged with water and become working. Feasibility to connect dry lines to a water source is based on water availability, location of water source, integrity of existing dry lines, number of residents that the source will feed and the cost to connect the system.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Municipal Services Department
10996 South Redwood Road
South Jordan City, Utah 84095
(801) 254-3742