South Jordan presents annual water-conservation update; officials tout low unaccounted-for water and grant applications

Connor Oswald, South Jordan’s conservation coordinator, delivered the department’s annual update and said the city remains on track for its long-term goal of 87 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) by 2030. Oswald said the city’s 2024 unmetered (nonrevenue) water rate was 2.22%, which he called “impressive” compared with typical municipal figures of 10%–20%.

Oswald reviewed supply indicators and conservation measures. He said local reservoir storage—comprised in the state calculation of Jordanelle, Deer Creek and Utah Lake—rose from about 82% to 89% year over year. Snowpack was at approximately 95% of median at the time of his presentation, though he noted low soil moisture could reduce runoff. Oswald emphasized continued adherence to Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District recommendations and ongoing resident outreach.

The presentation listed city conservation actions and recent results: city-led turf conversions at Ascot Downs Park, the city-park baseball dugouts and a pickleball court entry (about 20,000 square feet of city turf work noted), plus 108 park-strip conversions the city assisted through rebates. Oswald said the city removed 16,408 square feet of grass through city projects this year and that resident applications (89 online applications for grass-removal rebates) added substantially to total removals. Across city and resident efforts, Oswald said the combined grass removal totaled “just under 25,000 square feet” and estimated annual water savings of roughly 8 million gallons from those removals. He also reported a projected aggregate savings figure—across multiple programs and projects—on the order of hundreds of millions of gallons annually.

Oswald described grant activity: city staff applied for multiple grants including Bureau of Reclamation funding, the WaterSmart and WEDGE (Water–Energy Efficiency Grants) programs, and ARPA funds. He said the city applied to convert more than 500,000 square feet of turf and requested approximately $5,000,000 in potential grant funding; if awarded, Oswald estimated the conversions could save more than 25,000,000 gallons per year. The presentation noted the city had already been awarded ARPA funding for certain projects and had received about $68,000 for member-agency grants and a $68,000 water-efficiency standards grant.

Oswald and councilmembers also discussed leak detection: the conservation team performed 107 leak checks for residents last year and identified 369 active leaks in the system as of Dec. 31, 2024. Oswald highlighted the water- and cost-saving potential of correcting common household leaks, such as running toilets; he estimated a leaking toilet could waste roughly 48,000 gallons and cost roughly $125 per year on a given bill tier.

Council members asked about grant-administration differences and whether residents were receiving comparable per-square-foot incentives when applying through Jordan Valley versus the city. Oswald and staff said they are pursuing coordination with Jordan Valley and the state to align funding and administration and that they continue to operate under the city’s available $68,000 allocation while seeking additional funding. An audience of council members praised city staff for securing grants and implementing projects.

Oswald closed by listing future priorities: seeking additional grant funding, expanding HOA engagement, increasing public outreach, and continuing turf conversions and leak detection efforts. No formal council action on policy or budget was taken during the presentation.