When you turn on your faucet, you expect water to flow. But, have you given much thought to where it comes from?
Morgan Saxton visited the Little Cottonwood Water Treatment Plant and talked with Water Resources Manager Eric Sorensen.
He says the water at the Treatment Plant comes from two main sources: Deer Creek Reservoir and Little Cottonwood Creek.
The goal of the treatment process is to remove contaminants and improve the taste, odor and appearance of the water.
That is done through a series of physical and chemical processes that disinfect and remove contaminants from the water.
The plant treats less than 30 million gallons per day during the winter, but in the summer that jumps to 130 million gallons per day.
Eric says that's due to people watering their lawn and yards. That's why it's important to be water wise.
At the plant, they do a lot to conserve water. All the water they use in the processes is recycled and sent back through treatment.
They also do a lot of metering to identify and fix any possible leaks.
That's a step homeowners should be taking regularly as well. Eric recommends checking sprinklers at least once a year to make sure they're watering the correct amount and the correct places.
You can also conserve water by selecting plants that need less water, including many native plant varieties.
You can get ideas and learn more at slowtheflow.org.
