Municipal utility
Appears in 7 stories · Last updated Oct 28, 2026
Charges a flat $48.94 sewer rate per apartment unit and says the rate covers service costs
Salt Lake City charges apartment buildings a flat sewer fee of $48.94 per unit, replacing a charge that rose and fell with water use. Public Utilities made the switch in July 2026.
Updated 5 days ago
Proposed the fee changes
Salt Lake City's utility impact fees had not changed since 1999. On October 6, the City Council voted 7-0 to raise water, sewer and stormwater fees on new development. Water fees nearly triple, and stormwater fees more than quintuple.
Updated 7 days ago
Awaiting a third-party investigation into the cause of the break
Two months after a broken 20-inch water main flooded Poplar Grove, the Salt Lake City Council has approved $50,000 to help displaced families pay rent, buy food and replace essentials. Who pays for the damage itself is still unresolved.
Updated Oct 23
Facing $60M+ annual debt service
Salt Lake City spent more than $850 million on a new sewage treatment plant, funded in part by over $600 million in debt. A September audit by the Utah Legislative Auditor General found the city cannot cover its annual debt service, now over $60 million, from current revenue, and recommended a new property tax or a dedicated water district.
Updated Oct 10
As of September 2026: Building the 500 South biofilter at 1020 West Pierpont Avenue
A 30-foot sewage 'biotower' that Salt Lake City planned for Poplar Grove is now a 15-foot biofilter, and construction is visibly under way on the west side. The change came after neighbors objected for months to the tower's height, health risks, and what they called a history of dumping industrial infrastructure on their neighborhood.
Updated Sep 17
As of September 2026: Provides water data and manages the shortage plan
Salt Lake City's council voted Tuesday to make permanent a rule capping daily water use for new nonresidential buildings at 200,000 gallons. The limit, an emergency measure in place since March, was set to expire Sunday.
Updated Sep 15
As of September 2026: Manages upstream reservoirs and creek flows
Sugar House Park's pond sat drained for two months this summer. Parleys Creek dropped to record-low flows, so Salt Lake County opened the outlet gate and let the creek run through the basin naturally instead of letting stagnant water fester. In September, water returned.
Updated Sep 14
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