Agency: Environmental Quality

Line Item: Water Quality

Function

The mission of the Division of Water Quality is to protect public health and all beneficial uses of water by maintaining and enhancing the chemical, physical and biological integrity of Utah's waters. The major functions of the division include the following:

• establish water quality standards that protect the beneficial uses of Utah's waters;
• monitor and assess the quality of lakes, streams, and groundwater;
• review plans for wastewater treatment and disposal systems;
• manage the underground wastewater disposal program and review plans for large systems;
• develop and implement water quality management plans to protect Utah waters for drinking water, recreation, fishing, agriculture, and industrial uses;
• manage the wastewater loan and grant programs;
• issue and enforce permits for facilities discharging wastewater to surface waters and to ground water;
• manage the federal Underground Injection Control (UIC) program that discharge wastes into the subsurface via wells;
• manage the federal biosolids (municipal sewage sludge) permit program;
• manage the federal pesticide permitting program;
• implement watershed protection strategies and projects;
• manage the storm water program;
• manage the non-point source pollution control program;
• conduct studies and develop programs for abating water pollution; and,
• manage the wastewater operator certification program.

This division is divided into seven sections. Below is a brief description of the functions of each section:

Engineering Section

This section administers the state and federal loan/grant programs to fund high quality wastewater projects, manages the Utah Wastewater Operator Certification Program, and provides technical assistance to communities to better operate their wastewater systems.

It also conducts engineering plan reviews and issues construction permits for municipal and industrial water pollution control projects and provides technical assistance. The section also conducts operations and maintenance inspections and evaluations of all existing and newly constructed water pollution control projects.

The Division of Water Quality is responsible to administer the Utah Wastewater Project Assistance Program. This program provides financial assistance to communities and individuals to meet their water quality needs.

Funding for FY 2015 for water quality loans and grants is expected to be $27,166,100:

• $3,587,500 - designated sales tax;
• $6,000,000 - federal funds; and,
• $17,578,600 - loan payments (principal, interest, and fees).

UPDES Engineering Section

This section is responsible for developing, implementing, and coordinating the engineering review and permit issuance of the Utah Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (UPDES) and Industrial Pretreatment programs. The UPDES program regulates point source wastewater discharges from municipal, industrial, federal and agricultural facilities. The section also administers the federal Biosolids Permit Program (by encouraging the safe and beneficial use of treated municipal sewage sludge), and the federal Pesticide Permitting Program (by encouraging safe application of pesticides and herbicides by large appliers).

UPDES Inspection/Enforcement/Storm Water Section

This section is responsible for the inspections of UPDES facilities and any necessary enforcement actions as a result of documented noncompliance. The Storm Water Program covers construction, industrial, and municipal storm water issues.

Water Quality Management Section

This section updates water quality standards to protect beneficial uses, and conducts statewide water quality assessments, to determine the quality of the state's lakes, reservoirs, and streams. This section also conducts water quality studies to help establish standards that are protective of Utah waters.

Ground Water Protection

This section develops, implements, and coordinates the Utah Ground Water Quality Protection and the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Programs. This section issues and enforces ground water permits and UIC permits. The section also assists local governments to develop ground water protection programs to compliment land use planning.

Monitoring Section

This section is responsible for conducting chemical, physical, and biological monitoring of surface and ground waters in the state and effluent discharges to ensure compliance with permits and ambient water quality standards.

Watershed Protection Section

This section manages the non-point source pollution control program and is responsible for developing and implementing water quality plans which restore impaired waters so they may again fully support their beneficial uses and meet state water quality standards.

Performance

Surface and ground water permits have a 5-year life span that requires permit renewal. The graph below measures the percentage of "on time" permit renewals. Surface water permit renewals have been hampered by regulation changes at the federal level that have seen agricultural permits litigated multiple times resulting in states waiting to see what the final federal regulations will be prior to promulgating state rules.

Surface and ground water discharge permits include detailed requirements including compliance with effluent limits or ground water protection levels, monthly and quarterly effluent or ground water sampling, reporting and other performance measures. This measure reports the percentage of these permits that are operating in compliance with all state and federal requirements.

The purpose of this measure is to assess the water quality of Utah's rivers and lakes to see if they are meeting their standards established to protect beneficial uses. These analyses are conducted on a biennial basis due to EPA requirements, which is probably too short of a period for measurable trends. The measure changes whenever water quality standards or assessment methods change, which happens frequently (this is the reason for the recent decline). The division is developing an overall water quality index that will be more useful in establishing water quality status and trends in our lakes and streams.

In addition to the key performance measures listed above, the division reported the following performances measures for FY 2013:

• Completed the first phase of the Jordan River TML;
• Implemented 22 nonpoint source projects that reduced sediment loads by 15,000 tons and phosphorus loads by 2,000 pounds/year
• Successfully administered the following permits: 90 pesticide; 172 Sewer Management Program; 31 bio-solids; 20 pretreatment; 62 construction dewatering; 64 drinking water plants; 78 municipal storm water; 656 industrial storm water; 2,261 construction storm water; and 37 ground water;
• Completed the National Lakes Assessment and Wetlands Assessment;
• Completed a 3-year stakeholder-driven process to successfully revise of R317-4, On-site Wastewater Disposal System rules;
• Tracked and followed up on approximately 200 spills or reported water quality incidents;
• Completed a 3-year stakeholder-driven process to successfully revise R317-8 pertaining to issuing permits to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations;
• Completed a stakeholder-driven process to institute R317-15, 401 Water Quality Certification, for the issuance of refining the 401 certification process;
• Successfully defended an appeal on the U.S. Oil Sands permit;
• Successfully managed the response to and remediation of the 22,000 gallons Chevron diesel spill at Willard Bay State Park; and,
• Completed the seminal study, "Economic Benefits of Nutrient Reductions in Utah's Waters."

Funding Detail

For more detail about a particular source of finance or organizational unit, click a linked entry in the left column of the table(s) below.