Sanitary Sewer

Sanitary Sewer service in the City of North Salt Lake is provided by the South Davis Sewer District. For questions or comments about sewer service or to schedule a plant tour, please contact the South Davis sewer District.

5.11.20 Update on Ongoing Odor Issues

Background

In 1959 the South Davis Sewer District, an independent special district governed by a seven-member board of trustees, was formed in cooperation with local cities to provide wastewater services for the south half of Davis County, consisting of Bountiful, Centerville, the City of North Salt Lake, West Bountiful, Woods Cross and unincorporated areas south of Lund Lane. Shortly after the District was formed plans were prepared for the construction of two treatment plants and a collection system with over 100 miles of piping and manholes to convey the wastewater to the two plants. Construction of the plants and collection system was completed in 1962.

Today, the District’s North Plant, located at 1800 West 1200 North in West Bountiful, treats approximately 8 million gallons of wastewater per day with the capacity to treat up to 12 million gallons per day. The District’s South Plant, located at 1380 West Center Street in North Salt Lake, treats approximately 3 million gallons of wastewater per day with the capacity to treat up to 4 million gallons a day. The size of the collection system owned and maintained by the District has grown to more than 370 miles of pipe, ranging from 6 inches to 48 inches in diameter, and over 8,800 manholes.

Impact (Connection) Fees for New Construction/Remodel Projects

Prior to installing the building sewer (lateral) to serve new construction or remodeling existing facilities which results in the addition of new sewer fixtures (i.e., sinks, toilets, showers, etc.), it is necessary for owners of both residential and commercial facilities to make application and pay the impact (connection) fees to the District. The sewer impact fee is not included in the building permit issued by the cities and must be paid prior to installation of the building sewer (lateral). Inspection of the building sewer (lateral) is performed by the District’s inspector. Four (4) hours notice is required prior to inspection. Inspections are performed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Fee Schedule

New Residential (S/D):  $1,596 plus Inspection fee, total of $1,656
Residential Remodel:  $60 (inspection fee)
Commercial:  $1,596 Minimum (Based on Fixture Unit Count) plus inspection fee
Other:  Check with District Office.

Sewer Service Fees

The District currently bills twice a year, in January and July. The cost for sewer service is $10 per month, per EDU (Equivalent Dwelling Units).

Illegal Discharges

Local and Federal laws make it illegal to discharge any of the following into the sewer system: flammable or explosive material (including, but not limited to, oil, gasoline and diesel fuel), solid or viscous materials (such as paint or antifreeze) materials with a pH of less than 5.0 or greater than 9.5 (strong acids or bases) and toxic material (including, but not limited to, pesticides, herbicides, oil and antifreeze) and noxious or malodorous material. Violators are subject to a criminal penalty of up to $1,000 or by imprisonment for up to six (6) months or both and to civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation. Violators are investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Unit under 40 Code of Federal Regulation, part 403.

What You Can Do

In addition to preventing the illegal discharges identified above, you can help maintain the sewer system by watching what you allow to go down the drain. Grease from cooking oil, meats, butter and margarine, food scraps and other byproducts of cooking often get washed into the sewer system where, over time, they can accumulate on pipe walls and eventually plug off the sewer. You can ensure this does not happen by scraping grease and food scraps from pots, pans, plates, utensils and other cooking surfaces into a can or the trash for disposal.

Treating Wastewater

Waste water treatment is accomplished through physical and biological (living) processes. The trickling filters process is a biological process in which rocks or other media provides a surface on which microbiological growth can occur. Wastewater trickles over the rocks and the microorganisms living on the rocks use pollutants as a food source and metabolize them. Trickling filters are followed by clarifiers (settling tanks) to remove microorganisms that wash off or pass through the trickling filter media.

Clarifiers (which may also be referred to as settling or sedimentation tanks) are vessels in which solids settle out of water by gravity. The sedimentation or clarification process is a physical process.