Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, UT water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
salt lake city water system
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID UTAH18026
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Salt Lake City, UT is a mid-sized city, with a population near 192,672 and the largest community in Utah. Like much of Utah, Salt Lake City draws its water primarily from Colorado River, Great Salt Lake basin, and snowpack.
Salt Lake City's water outlook is shaped most by colorado river — the issue that dominates planning across Utah. One of the highest per-capita users in the country and home to the shrinking Great Salt Lake; St. George is building an advanced purification demonstration facility as the Lake Powell Pipeline stalls.
Salt Lake City sits in a state that reuses roughly 13% of treated wastewater (developing programs) and currently experiences severe to extreme drought.
For the bigger picture, see the Utah state water profile and the related issues below.
Salt Lake County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~192,672 (largest in Utah)
- Primary sources: Colorado River, Great Salt Lake basin, and snowpack
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~13% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Utah in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Salt Lake City?
Salt Lake City's largest water system, SALT LAKE CITY WATER SYSTEM, serves about 381,174 people. EPA records show 1 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 2.5 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Salt Lake City get its water?
SALT LAKE CITY WATER SYSTEM draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Utah's supply from Colorado River, Great Salt Lake basin, snowpack.
Related water issues
Colorado River
The river that supplies 40 million people has lost roughly a fifth of its flow since 2000, forcing a renegotiation of how seven states share the water.
ExploreDrought
Much of the American West is in a multi-decade dry period that researchers describe as the most severe in over a millennium, reshaping how communities plan for water.
ExplorePotable Reuse
Advanced purification turns treated wastewater into water that meets or exceeds drinking-water standards — increasingly essential in water-stressed regions.
ExploreGroundwater Depletion
Aquifers from the Central Valley to the Ogallala are being pumped faster than they recharge, causing land subsidence and threatening long-term supply.
Explore