Division of Water Quality

Analysis of Septic Tank Density of Rockville, Washington County, Utah

The Utah Water Quality Board (Board) awards grants to counties and municipalities to assist these entities in conducting studies to assess groundwater quality within aquifers in their areas. The Board awarded a hardship planning grant to the Town of Rockville to assess the impacts of growth and the use of onsite wastewater systems on groundwater quality. The Town of Rockville and the Utah Geological Survey have completed the study.  

• Final Groundwater Study Report

Heber Valley Special Services District Concerns DWQ Response Letter

This letter responds to concerns raised to the Utah Division of Water Quality about the Heber Valley Special Services District (HVSSD) Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Facility (Facility). DWQ received phone calls and emails from concerned citizens about potential problems with the HVSSD Facility, its operations, performance, and potential adverse impacts on water quality. DWQ hopes that this letter addresses the raised concerns. If anyone has any additional concerns that were not addressed, feel free to email [email protected] or call DWQ’s front desk at (801) 536-4300. 

• Heber Valley Special Services District Concerns

Region 8 Water & Wastewater Security Summit Salt Lake City, April 18-19, 2024

CISA Region 8, FBI, EPA Criminal Investigation Division, Bureau of Reclamation and DHS Office of Intelligence & Analysis invite you to a Water & Wastewater Security Summit. This event will be hosted on April 18-19, 2024 at Multi Agency State Office Building 195 North 1950 West Salt Lake City, Utah 84116. Those unable to travel may participate virtually and will need to select that option during registration.

OVERVIEW Protecting water systems is of vital importance to the stability and health of the nation. The Water and Wastewater Sector is vulnerable to a variety of threats and hazards, including physical attacks, cyberattacks, aging infrastructure, and natural disasters. To build security and resilience within the Water Sector, we work to deliver timely and relevant tools, resources, training, and information that can help organizations within this Sector.

AGENDA Experts will present threat briefings, case studies, and mitigation measures related to cyber and physical security of our water infrastructure, and considerations and resources to manage risk and build resilience. Each session will be offered in a two-day format, with the first day of presentations taking place in the afternoon, followed by a morning delivery to close out the session.

INTENDED AUDIENCE Water and Wastewater Sector critical infrastructure owners and operators from the public and private sector; Dams sector owners that manage water supply facilities; Emergency managers, law enforcement/first responders, security directors, safety personnel, and planners

See Water and Wastewater Cybersecurity for more information or email CISA Region 8 at [email protected]

• Visit the DWQ’s Potential Impacts from Flooding webpage for more information.

DWQ Developing Draft Rules for Great Salt Lake Mineral Extraction Facility Operator Certification Approval

The Division of Water Quality (DWQ) is providing an opportunity for the public to provide informal comment on proposed new rules required by House Bill 513 (codified as amended Utah Code § 65A-6-4), which requires the review and approval of the Department of Environmental Quality to ensure that the operations will not negatively impact the biota or chemistry of GSL.  See the draft rules on the DWQ Rules page for more details.

The EPA Published Draft Guidance Associated with NPDES Permitting of Certain Discharges through Groundwater to Surface Waters  

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published in the Federal Register Draft Guidance: Applying the Supreme Court’s “County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund” Decision in the Clean Water Act Section 402 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Program to Discharges through Groundwater.  As the Draft Guidance is currently in draft form, the Division of Water Quality does not yet know how or whether it will impact Permittees. However, if finalized and implemented, the Draft Guidance may have substantial impacts on some Permittees in Utah.  Please visit the EPA webpage to view the Draft Guidance. 

2023 Triennial Review

The Utah Division of Water Quality is conducting the 2023 Triennial Review of Utah’s Water Quality Standards. DWQ is asking for comments from the public and stakeholders about recommended changes to Utah Administrative Code R317-2 Standards of Quality for Waters of the State. A public hearing to receive comments will be held at 6:00 PM December 14, 2023. Written comments will be accepted until 6:00 PM December 15, 2023.

For background information, supporting documents, details on the hearing, or to submit comments, visit DWQ’s Triennial Review page.