South Jordan moves to finish feasibility study for scaling PureSOJO potable reuse plant

Mayor Dawn Ramsey and city staff pressed the case for finishing a feasibility study to scale the city’s PureSOJO direct potable reuse demonstration into a full-scale treatment plant.

Raymond Garrison, the city’s director of public works, told the council the demonstration has “done exactly what we’ve wanted it to do,” noting the pilot has collected more than 9,000 samples and “treated over 26,000,000 gallons of water” since operation began.

Deputy city engineer Jeremy Nelson presented engineering alternatives and a staff-preferred design using the same CDAT technology as the pilot. He said a full-scale facility would be sized to treat about 3,400,000 gallons per day with potential expansion to 6,800,000 gpd, which the staff estimated would supply about 7% of 2025 summer demand citywide or up to 50% of winter demand for certain zones. Nelson summarized system needs: a pump station at Jordan Basin, a transmission line through Riverton and a roughly five-acre treatment site inside South Jordan linked to existing transmission piping.

On costs, Nelson said the preferred alternative carries an estimated upfront capital cost of about $142,000,000 for the treatment facility and transmission pipeline, plus annual operations and maintenance. Garrison and consultants told councilors they were pursuing grant and program funding; staff estimated potential external funding on the order of $50,000,000 from identified grant sources but said the city would need additional bonding or partner contributions to close the gap.

Council members asked practical questions about ownership of the pilot equipment, storage options, and the interlocal agreement with Jordan Basin Improvement District. Staff said the agreement that allows the pilot equipment to remain at Jordan Basin expires on 2027-01-01 and could possibly be extended for months to a year, but a long-term plan is needed for the equipment and any transition to a permanent facility.

Several council members raised political and regulatory concerns, including public perception about effects on the Great Salt Lake and state law constraints. One council member referenced a state bill (House Bill 349) passed in 2022–23 that restricts some reuse projects in the Great Salt Lake basin; staff said the city has mitigation strategies and technical analyses that could allow reuse while complying with the law.

On next steps, staff recommended completing the feasibility study to a 30% design level so the city can pursue federal and state funding and present a professional package to potential partners. Councilors generally supported finishing the study and indicated a preference for the north Riverfront parcel as the preferred site for study completion because of geotechnical advantages and distance from residences. Mayor Ramsey and staff said the finished study would strengthen future grant applications and keep local congressional and legislative supporters engaged.

The city will return to the council with the completed feasibility study, refined cost estimates, and recommended funding strategies and partnership options.