Water Quality/Cross-Connection

Sampling

Kaysville City receives 100% of its drinking water from the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District (WBWCD), and then delivers that water to over 9,000 connections within Kaysville. Each week, Kaysville City is collecting various water samples from our system to monitor water quality throughout the City, with samples taken from locations that include residential water meters, indoor plumbing fixtures and above ground sampling stations. Below is a list of some of the samples we collect on a routine basis, as well as samples that WBWCD collects to monitor the water they distribute to Cities throughout Davis County:

40 City wide routine bacterial (coliform & E. coli) samples at fixed locations each month
30 samples for lead & copper on a tri-annual basis
10 quarterly samples for THMs (Trihalomethanes) & HAAs (Haloacetic acids)
Regular Asbestos testing as required by the State & EPA
Samples to monitor for contaminants not currently regulated by the EPA (polyfluoroalkyl substances, Lithium etc)
Monthly routine Fluoride monitoring (by WBWCD)
Investigative samples throughout each month and as needed

Flushing

Hydrant flushing is a technique used across the country to maintain water quality in the distribution system as it serves homes and businesses. Water expelled during flushing may seem wasteful, but it is very important work. The flushing technique we use is called unidirectional flushing, and you may see City employees accessing valves in the street to direct the water to set discharge locations. Crews open hydrants (most often during hot summer months) and may even have to leave the hydrant running and unattended for several hours. The crews will come back and turn off the hydrant later. These high flows of water help to better circulate water through the system.

We will not turn your water off while flushing. In rare cases, high flows in the distribution pipes can slightly discolor the water at your tap or even cause momentary low pressures. For discolored water, we recommend turning on the cold water in your bath tub or the outside hose bib on the front of your house for a few minutes and letting it run until clear. Discoloration may look alarming, but doesn’t in and of itself indicate a water quality issue.

Cross-Connections & Backflow

Many public drinking water systems are contaminated each year by pollutants or contaminants that flow backwards from a user’s private pipes into the Cities water system through unprotected cross-connections. A cross connection can either be an unauthorized connection to the City’s water system, or a connection that does not meet the requirements of the International Plumbing Code (IPC), or a use of City water that poses a risk of contamination, or all of the above. Cross connections are a massive concern, and Kaysville City has established ordinances and a Cross Connection Control Program to help safeguard the system, and all of its users.

The purpose of Kaysville City’s Cross-Connection Control Program is to protect the City water supply from the possibility of contamination or pollution by eliminating or controlling existing cross connections (actual or potential) in accordance with the IPC, State amendments to the IPC, as well as the Utah Administrative Code. One of the major focuses of the Cross Connection Control Program is prohibiting (except for limited instances with documented permission from the City) the use of drinking water in outdoor sprinkler systems.