Last week, DEQ released its annual State of the Environment Report. This end-of-year report provides a comprehensive look at agency activities and initiatives in 2018 that improved Utah’s environment and quality of life and created new economic opportunities.
Read MoreDWQ is committed to continuous improvement to increase performance and implement innovations that advance quality, efficiency, and effectiveness. The division has expanded the SUCCESS Framework process from the management to the staff level to generate more improvement ideas and opportunities. Paperless MWPP surveys The Municipal Wastewater Planning Program (MWPP) uses an annual survey to collect …
Read MoreNonpoint-source (NPS) pollution can come from a number of sources, including streets, parking lots, agricultural lands, and construction sites. NPS pollution can include: Excess fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides from agricultural lands Sediment from erosion or construction activities Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pets, and septic systems The NPS program provides funding to improve the water …
Read MoreUnder the Clean Water Act, DWQ is required to protect the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of state waters. The Monitoring Section monitors all surface waters, including lakes and reservoirs, streams (wadeable and non-wadeable), wetlands, and some groundwater to assess the quality of these water resources so DWQ can protect them for their beneficial uses, …
Read MoreThe Groundwater Protection Section administers two primary programs to protect the quality of Utah’s groundwater resources: Federal Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program State Groundwater Quality Protection Program The UIC Program protects underground sources of drinking water by reviewing and approving numerous small-scale injection activities such as stormwater dry wells, groundwater remediation wells, and domestic underground …
Read MoreRapid growth in Utah has led to increased urbanization and the conversion of undeveloped land to impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots, rooftops, and driveways. This change in land use has resulted in an increase in the volume of stormwater runoff. Rainwater and snowmelt water used to percolate into the soil. Now, it runs …
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