State official outlines reporting, planning and safety requirements under Utah Sewer Management Program

At a Sewer Summit presentation, Jennifer Robinson of the Utah Division of Water Quality outlined key requirements and operational guidance under the Utah Sewer Management Program (USMP) general permit, including when sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) must be reported, required elements of sewer system management plans (SSMPs) and safety practices for field staff.

Robinson said the permit applies to any publicly, federally or state-owned sewer collection system in Utah and that SSOs meeting certain thresholds must be reported immediately. “The class ones are required to be reported within 24 hours to the division of water quality,” Robinson said. She summarized two commonly used thresholds that trigger class‑1 reporting: an overflow affecting more than five homes (i.e., six or more) and an overflow totaling 5,000 gallons across structures or into multiple buildings. Robinson also said, “if it ever hits a waterway or a wetland, it’s a class 1.”

The permit requires an annual report and a five‑day followup report for class‑1 events documenting who, what, when, where and how. Robinson told attendees the USMP annual report is due either…