Jvwcd, a wholesale and retail water provider in salt lake county, will build a treatment plant in holladay, utah capable of treating 5 million gallons per day (MGD) from casto and dry creek springs

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation awarded $8.46 million to Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (JVWCD) under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief program (CFDA 15.514) on November 28, 2025. The grant funds construction of a water treatment plant in Holladay, Utah with a capacity of 5 million gallons per day (MGD). The facility will treat water from previously unutilized Casto and Dry Creek Springs groundwater sources, with project completion targeted for June 30, 2028.

The treatment plant serves as critical drought resilience infrastructure for Salt Lake County, where JVWCD operates as a wholesale and retail water provider. By developing this new groundwater supply source, the project enables the district to reduce reliance on surface water during drought periods and allow regional aquifers greater recovery time during wet years. This initiative directly addresses Utah's chronic water scarcity—the second driest state in the nation, which has experienced moderate to extreme drought conditions in seven of the past ten years—and aligns with JVWCD's official drought contingency plan and ten-year capital projects strategy.

The springs are not currently in use for culinary water supply and adding this water source will increase our resilience to climate driven shortages in surface water by 1) adding to our groundwater supply capacity that can be used in a drought year and 2) allowing area groundwater wells to rest more during wet years. Utah is the second driest state in the nation and has experienced moderate to extreme drought conditions for the past seven out of ten years. During times of drought, jvwcd is reliant on groundwater to meet demand. This project will allow for a stronger recovery of our aquifer storage during wet years. This project has been prioritized in jvwcd?S official drought contingency plan as well as in its 10-year capital projects plan.