SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is building a new comprehensive list of water infrastructure projects that will be required for any future state funding assistance.
The Unified Water Infrastructure Plan (UWIP), created under HB 280 passed in 2024, will prioritize projects across the state and simplify the funding process by coordinating efforts between the Board of Water Resources, the Drinking Water Board and the Water Quality Board.
Projects must be included in the UWIP to qualify for future state funding. The first submission window closed May 9, 2025, and will reopen in 2026. Projects that need funding sooner must continue applying through the existing board processes.
In Northern Utah, a public meeting is set for Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Brigham City at the Box Elder Historic County Courthouse. The council will outline the prioritization process and take public comment. Other meetings are scheduled in Provo, Duchesne and Cedar City.
The plan’s creation follows an integration study completed last year and will be further shaped by a fee study due Oct. 31, 2025. Draft rules for the prioritization process will be open for official public comment between mid-December 2025 and mid-January 2026.
Officials say the UWIP will give Utah its first comprehensive statewide picture of water infrastructure needs and funding priorities, an important step as the state grapples with growth and limited water resources.