The Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy (District) was established in 1935 by the Salt Lake City Commission. Salt Lake City is the founding member and Sandy City joined the District in 1990. The District's primary function is to create a firm water supply for its member cities. The District also provides water to others on a surplus basis.

The District is citizen-administered through a Board of Trustees comprised of seven board members who serve four year terms. Five of the Trustees are appointed by Salt Lake City Council and two Trustees are appointed by Sandy City Council.

The District receives water supply from Little Cottonwood Canyon, Bell Canyon, the Provo River Project, the Ontario Drain Tunnel, Little Dell Reservoir, and the Central Utah Project. Through the Provo River Project, the District is a shareholder of the Provo River Water Users Association. The Provo River Project includes the Salt Lake Aqueduct, Deer Creek Dam, Provo Reservoir Canal, and the Tranbasin Diversions. The Central Utah Project includes Jordanelle Reservoir, Jordan Aqueduct, and the Jordan Valley Water Treatment Plant.

Our Mission

Funding Sources

The District's sources of funds are from water sales, property taxes, and assessments. Water sales account for 49% of District revenue and is used for operations and maintenance costs. Assessments account for 25% of the revenue. These assessments are tied to the Metro Water Project. This project included the construction of the Point of the Mountain Water Treatment Plant, Point of the Mountain Aqueduct, upgrades and process improvements to the Little Cottonwood Water Treatment Plant, and the 150th South Pipeline. These assessments are paid by Salt Lake City and Sandy City. Property Taxes account for 23.5% of the District's revenue and are used to fund capital projects such as the repair and replacement of aging infrastructure. Property taxes provide a mechanism of revenue fairness. For example, properties to be developed pay a fair share of water infrastructure costs. The Cottonwoods Connection project is an example of a capital project that improves the reliability of the water conveyance system in the event of an earthquake. More information on this project can be found on the home page.

Operations Department

The Operations Department performs the crucial task of delivering safe drinking water to District customers. Operators are on shift around-the-clock at both the Little Cottonwood and Point of the Mountain Water Treatment Plants. All operators maintain the highest level of certification: Grade IV Operator Certification with the State of Utah. Extensive on-the-job training is required to meet the number of challenges that occur from day-to-day with the ever changing quality of incoming water and strict water quality standards the District has implemented.

To obtain a better understanding of the water treatment process, please take our virtual tour.

District Laboratory

The District has a National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Committee (NELAC) certified lab that performs water quality testing for Salt Lake City, Sandy City, and various outside agencies. The lab also performs internal process control testing to insure the highest possible quality of water delivered to District customers. Department staff works diligently to meet water quality compliance standards set by regulatory authorities.

Another valuable tool used to ensure water quality is the District's pilot plant which tests various chemicals and processes for safety and effectiveness prior to changing chemicals and/or procedures for water treatment at District facilities.

Department staff actively participate in the Partnership for Safe Water, the Utah Water Quality Alliance, and the Provo River Watershed Council regarding water quality issues. These working groups are pro-active in addressing items that impact water quality.

Information Technology Department

As the District has grown in size and capacity over the years, so too has the District’s need for information technology (IT). The IT Department provides a wide range of services. Its main priority is to help the District achieve its mission by ensuring all IT systems and equipment function efficiently and reliably.

Instrumentation & Electrical Department

The I&E Department manages all of the District's PC/S (an acronym for Process Control/Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition or SCADA), instrumentation, and electrical systems. Staff maintains this equipment to ensure its reliability.

Engineering and Maintenance Department

The Engineering and Maintenance Department manages projects related to the District's infrastructure and capital improvements. This department also manages the work of engineering consultants during the study, design, and construction phases of assigned projects. Staff continues to manage encroachments along the Salt Lake Aqueduct corridor, Point of the Mountain Aqueduct corridor, and other District properties. Maintenance employees maintain all District facilities. Preventative maintenance is scheduled and performed on a routine basis to ensure the treatment plants and conveyance systems stay in top operating condition.