South Jordan Pure SoJo Direct Potable Reuse Demonstration Facility

The City of South Jordan, Utah, faced a daunting challenge: it had no culinary water rights of its own and relied entirely on a regional wholesaler to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population. Determined to secure a reliable, drought-resilient water source under local control, the City set its sights on direct potable reuse (DPR), a bold, forward-thinking solution. But with no DPR regulations in Utah, no operating facilities in the state, and potential public resistance, the path forward was anything but simple.

Carollo partnered with the City to design and deliver the Pure SoJo Direct Potable Reuse Demonstration Facility, the first DPR project in Utah. The facility treats 10 gallons per minute (gpm) of high-quality, membrane-filtered, UV-disinfected effluent from the MBR-based Jordan Basin Water Reclamation Facility to produce drinking water quality for demonstration purposes only. Rather than relying on reverse osmosis (RO), Carollo implemented a carbon-based advanced treatment process that sidesteps the cost and operational complexity and brine disposal that burdened RO. The treatment train combines ozone/biologically active filtration, ultrafiltration, granular activated carbon, ultraviolet disinfection, and chlorine disinfection to produce purified water that meets or exceeds drinking water standards. No water is distributed from the facility; it’s all for demonstration and education, but it’s real, drinkable water that is available for taste testing, and the facility’s performance has been impressive.

Carollo provided full design services, permitting support, and construction-phase assistance, all while helping the City navigate a regulatory landscape that doesn’t yet exist. By repurposing a room inside an existing building, the team saved over $700,000 in construction costs. City staff, with Carollo’s support, installed all major equipment, gaining hands-on experience with the new technologies they’ll one day operate full-scale. The pilot will run for five years and is already serving as a testbed for state-level DPR regulations.

Equally important, Pure SoJo is helping to shift public perception. The City is using the facility to educate the community, regulators, and lawmakers, hosting tours, developing outreach materials, and preparing for taste-testing events. It’s no exaggeration to say the project is shaping the future of water in Utah. It’s already sparked interest from other utilities and caught the attention of Senator Mitt Romney, who praised the project as a model for sustainable water innovation across the state.

From design innovation to public outreach, Pure SoJo demonstrates what’s possible when a city is willing to lead and an engineering team is ready to deliver.