Water Pollution Control & Prevention

Overview

As development continues within South Jordan, porous (water absorbing) open space surfaces give way to impervious (non-absorbent) concrete, asphalt, and rooftops that generate greater volumes of storm water runoff. This runoff, by design, is diverted to and carried through the storm drain system within the City mitigating the potential for flooding. However, the impervious materials and structures created in developing our community also accumulate and store many pollutants that are carried away with the runoff during a storm.

Unlike the sanitary sewer system, in which the water and waste are carried through an underground system to treatment facilities, storm water, and the pollutants it carries, flow directly into the waterways of the Salt Lake Valley, mainly the Jordan River.

Examples of Pollutants

Some examples of common pollutants include:

• Oil and gas from vehicles
• Pesticides and fertilizers used in landscaping
• Pet waste
• Sediments and silts
• Household hazardous waste
• Grass clippings and leaves
• Swimming pool maintenance discharges
• Salt and de-icing chemicals
• Soaps and detergents from car washing activities

Jordan Valley Municipality Coalition

It is a goal of the South Jordan City Storm Water Utility to reduce the amount of pollution entering the waterways within its boundaries.

In meeting this goal and the requirements set by the EPA and federal Clean Water Act, South Jordan City is a member of the Jordan Valley Municipality Coalition consisting of 13 Cities and Salt Lake County. This coalition has been issued a joint Utah Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (UPDES) permit by the State of Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality, which authorizes the members of the coalition to discharge municipal storm water into the waterways of the valley.

Storm Water Management Plan

The City has put together a Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP) in accordance with the guidelines of the UPDES permit and the EPA.

Some of the items the City is doing as part of the SWMP include:

• Public education and outreach programs
• Locating, investigating and eliminating illegal discharges into the storm drain system
• Monitoring and enforcing runoff and erosion control processes concerning construction activities
• Minimizing the adverse impacts on storm water quality after construction

In addition, South Jordan has set up good housekeeping guidelines concerning the operations of the City and the impacts it has on storm water.