The water that flows throughout the University of Utah grounds travels through an underground labyrinth of piping totaling over 100 miles. Maintaining it all is a full-time job for many individuals who work at the U’s Facilities Department (UFacilities) and the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU).

UFacilities is responsible for maintenance and operation of the University’s water distribution system, consisting of nine separate pressure zones, nearly 125 miles of pipelines, two pump houses, two valve boxes, three storage tanks, seven pressure stations and multiple interconnections between pressure zones for a redundant system designed to eliminate or greatly minimize down times during emergencies, said Facilities Management Associate Director John Palo.

“When it comes to water infrastructure, UFacilities tracks both SLCDPU’s water lines and the University’s water lines. SLCDPU has water lines that traverse campus—some of which feed university water lines and some just pass through,” he said. “For reference, SLCDPU has approximately seven miles of piping that feed the university distribution piping and another three miles of piping that pass through campus.”

Buildings may be supplied by the university’s 100+ miles of distribution piping. However, buildings and fire hydrants may also be supplied directly by SLCDPU’s water system based on the building’s location and nearest connections, he explained. When the university calculates water usage, all water supplied from Salt Lake City, including these direct connections, is included, Palo said.

The location of buildings on campus is also reflective of the age of the surrounding water structure.

“In general, the age of water infrastructure on campus is related to when that area of campus was developed,” said Lissa Larson, associate director, Sustainability & Energy. “The water lines east of Mario Capecchi Drive were installed with the growth of the medical campus in the 1950s and 1960s. Transmission pipelines were installed in the 1960s with the storage tanks and expansion of the campus to the east.”

When the university acquired portions of Fort Douglas in the 1990s, the utility infrastructure also transferred ownership, she said. Student housing in the area built in the late 1990s necessitated new water distribution to be installed around the new buildings, she added.

UFacilities is also responsible for additional utility systems that serve campus buildings, including sanitary sewer, secondary water, irrigation, storm drain, natural gas, electrical, geothermal, steam and heating and cooling pipelines, Palo said.

“Our overall annual maintenance budget for utilities is in the seven-figure range and covers the operation and maintenance of all existing utilities on campus, including our fire suppression systems,” he said. “If necessary, the University may also request additional funding from the legislature.”

Current master plan efforts include updates to existing infrastructure.

The university purchases the same treated drinking water from Salt Lake City that is provided to the rest of their customers in the valley, Larson noted. Water treatment is done by SLCDPU to meet federal and state drinking water requirements, and no additional treatment is performed, she said. Since the university operates a Public Water System, UFacilities performs the same monthly and annual testing as SLCDPU to ensure water quality is maintained despite being directly served by SLCDPU, she added.

Each June, the university publishes these results in an Annual Drinking Water Quality Report as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act. Annual reports provide details about where university water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies. The university’s Annual Drinking Water Quality reports can be reviewed on UFacilities’ website, and the SLC Department of Public Utilities’ reports are posted on their website.