Solving ESG Challenges Preserving the Great Salt Lake with Large Diameter HDPE Pipe

The North Davis Sewer District (NDSD) collects and treats wastewater from the cities of Clearfield, Clinton, Layton, Roy, Sunset, Syracuse, West Point, and Kaysville. The current NDSD facilities treat up to 34 million gallons per day (MGD) prior to discharging into Farmington Bay of the Great Salt Lake (GSL). NDSD began investigating methods to meet stricter nutrient load requirements implemented by the state of Utah. By collaboratively working with the state, NDSD was able to invest in a capital improvement project consisting of a pump station and pipeline instead of a new treatment facility capable of meeting the state’s newly implemented technology-based phosphorus effluent limits (TBPELs). This approach results in treated effluent remaining in the GSL, a terminal water body in Utah that is experiencing historically low water levels, rather than being consumed by water reuse or evaporation. A four-year evaluation period included evaluating the long-term health of the GSL, including the water level of the lake; meeting the discharge requirements of Farmington Bay; limiting the growth of invasive phragmites; and maintaining wildlife habitat.