To drink or not to drink – South Jordan water quality
Nov 25, 2019 02:45PM ● By Susan Palmer
After a concern from a resident over the quality of water, South Jordan officials tested 30 elements at 20 sites over two days before declaring the water was safe to drink. (Stock photo by Jana Sabeth)
By Susan Palmer | [email protected]
Living in an American city usually has the advantage of having safe drinking water piped directly into your home. You can walk to the faucet and with a twist of the wrist fresh clean water fills your glass. Many people take this for granted and may seldom think of this perk until for some reason the status quo is interrupted.
In early October, a South Jordan resident contacted SoJo officials and voiced a concern over water quality in the Daybreak community. SoJo leaders immediately reviewed the information. After testing 30 different elements at 20 sites over two days, city leaders declared the water in South Jordan was safe to use and to drink. A statement from Public Relations Officer Rachael Van Cleave was issued on Oct. 23. She said, “Our residents can feel comfortable with the quality of water that we have in our city.” More investigations are ongoing with state and county organizations to determine what were the real causes of the resident’s concerns. City officials reported that with all the expedited fees and the extra water testing that the cost ended up at more than $11,000.
SoJo leaders take water quality seriously. There has never previously been anything of this magnitude or attention in the past in the city. The concern was addressed immediately, and appropriate testing was done to eliminate any concerns. SoJo officials, however, do continually test the water quality to ensure the safety of residents. Every month, 80 water samples are collected from designated locations throughout the city. Results of this extended list of testing items is reported to residents in a detailed water quality report. This is mailed out to residents once each year.
South Jordan leaders used the media to release information to residents regarding this current water quality issue. However, what would happen if in the future a significant threat to resident’s health and safety were identified? How would SoJo officials notify the residents of a water safety issue or any other type of emergency? Some phone numbers — mostly landlines — are on file at South Jordan. Officials and they would contact Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center in West Valley City to send out a message to the numbers that they have on file. South Jordan residents can register their cell phone numbers with the city by texting SJCINFO to 85775.
Another method of notification in an emergency is Reverse 911, which notifies you on your phone if there is an emergency or any other public safety issue in your area. Landlines are automatically included in the Reverse 911 database, but cable network, VoIP providers or cell phones are not included unless you register these numbers.
To register with the Reverse 911, visit the Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center website www.vecc9-1-1.com/voip-registration/. Once you are on the website, you can register both your telephone number and your email. This is only for addresses that are within the Salt Lake County boundaries.
