Secondary Water

The City of South Jordan provides secondary water to a portion of the city through gravity fed and a pressurized piped system. The water is made available through four main canals that run through the city. In addition, the city also owns and maintains the Beckstead Canal which provides water to irrigate the Mulligans Golf Course. The main source of water that feeds the four canals comes from Utah Lake. The quality of water from this source changes throughout the year. The season dates for the startup/shutdown of the canals is typically May 1 to October 15. These dates are estimates and can change based on weather or other factors and is controlled by each respective canal company.

View the Secondary Water Map (PDF).

Measures Taken

The City is dedicated to improving the system and the quality of water through the installation of weir screens, amiad filters on pump stations, and adding drain valves to flush the waterlines. The amount of pressure received at your location is dependent on the distance from the canal, relative elevation of your property to the canal, the number of users within the zone, and the water level within the canal. Additionally, the Parks and Water divisions have been working together to convert parks and open spaces irrigation systems to run off of secondary

Each of the four major canals has weirs that divert water from the canal to the City’s secondary water pipes. The City takes responsibility for water delivery from the canal to the resident’s connections. The secondary water pipes feed various subdivisions throughout South Jordan and the City maintains approximately 96 miles of secondary water lines.

2023 Secondary Water Start Up Dates

• Utah Distribution Canal: May 15, 2023
• Utah Salt Lake Canal: May 15, 2023 
• Welby Jacobs Canal: May 15, 2023 
• South Jordan Canal: May 15, 2023 

The Canal Company

The canal company is responsible for the conveyance of water and the canal infrastructure that runs through the City. They’re also responsible for cleaning and maintaining the canal. This means all of the debris and weeds seen on or in the canals are the responsibility of the canal company.

The Home Owners Role

Your responsibility as a homeowner includes maintenance of the system from the stop and waste valve and keeping the system in compliance with backflow regulations. 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 water, the pressures may not be enough to run your sprinkler system, therefore the use of pumps is recommended at your property in order to achieve the pressures needed to meet your water system needs. Pumps should be equipped with automatic shut-offs in case of low or no water flows in order to avoid burning the pump.

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). 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.

New Secondary Water Connections

See Municipal Code 13.08.100 for the process of connecting to the secondary water system.

Secondary Water Share Leasing

South Jordan owns shares in five different private canal companies including:

• Utah Lake Distributing
• Utah Salt Lake Water Users
• Welby Jacob Canal
• South Jordan Canal
• Beckstead Canal

The City offers an annual lease of shares to private water users that have access to the water via ditches and other private systems.

Water share lease applications are accepted from January to March each year. The canal companies make up the water schedules for those leasing shares. For current pricing or more information, please contact the Water Division.