Water Quality Report 2023

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH WATER SYSTEM, NO. 18057

We're pleased to present to you this year's Annual Drinking Water Quality Report as required by the Safe Drinking Water
Act (SDWA). This report is designed to provide details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it
compares to standards set by regulatory agencies. This report is a snapshot of last year's water quality. The University of
Utah Water system is designated as a consecutive connection to Salt Lake City’s public water system as we purchase all our drinking water from Salt Lake City. We are pleased to report that our drinking water meets federal and state requirements.

This report includes results of our required testing performed between January 1 and December 31, 2023. We’ve also
included the water quality data provided by Salt Lake City as they are our water source. All drinking water, including
bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents. It's important to
remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily pose a health risk.

DO I NEED TO TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS?

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791).

WHY ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN MY DRINKING WATER?

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity: microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife; inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial, or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming; pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses; organic Chemical Contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems; and radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR LEAD

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.
Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The University of Utah is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.

If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

CROSS CONNECTIONS AND BACKFLOWS

One of our responsibilities as a public water system is to protect our drinking water supply from the possibility of contamination. Cross connections are not allowed unless controlled by an approved and properly operating backflow prevention assembly or device. 

A cross connection is any physical connection or arrangement of piping or fixtures which may allow non-potable water or industrial fluids or other material of questionable quality to come into contact with potable water inside a water distribution system. Backflow is the reversal of flow from a residential or building’s plumbing system back into the public drinking water system. A backflow incident could occur if the water system pressure decreases or the customer’s water pressure is higher than the water systems pressure. A backflow incident could carry pollutants or contaminants into our public drinking water system making it unsafe to drink.

The Plumbing Code and the Utah Public Drinking Water Rules require that all cross connections be eliminated or protected against backflow by installing an approved backflow device or assembly that will ensure that no impurities or contaminants are introduced to the public drinking water supply. Backflows are required to be inspected and tested annually.

For more information please contact:

Steffanie Brown, P.E.
University of Utah, Facility Engineering
1795 E South Campus Dr
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Phone: 801‐587‐8089
Email: steffanie.brown@fm.utah.edu

MICROBIOLOGICAL

LEAD AND COPPER

REGULATED CONTAMINANTS

 

UNIT DESCRIPTIONS

IMPORTANT DRINKING WATER DEFINITIONS