Salt Lake City ranges from early-1900s bungalows and brick homes in the Avenues, Sugar House and Liberty Wells to mid-century ranches in Rose Park and Glendale and newer condos downtown. That mix means water problems vary block by block.
What drives water damage in Salt Lake City
- Older plumbing. Galvanized supply lines and cast-iron or clay sewer laterals in older neighborhoods can corrode, crack or let roots in.
- Basements. Many older homes have basements, some converted to living space or rentals, where a leak or backup does the most damage.
- Canyon creeks. City Creek, Red Butte, Emigration and Parleys creeks run out of the canyons. In 1983, record runoff turned State Street into a sandbagged channel for City Creek (SLC Public Utilities history), and in April 2023 Emigration Creek overflowed into Wasatch Hollow Park and nearby streets (SLC Emergency Management).
- Freezing weather that splits pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and on porches.
Local contacts
Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities supplies water and handles sewer and stormwater for the city. Customer service is (801) 483-6900, and the 24-hour emergency dispatch line is (801) 483-6700 (source). Report a water main break or sewer overflow there. A leak inside your home is a job for your plumber and a restoration provider.
Services you can call about in Salt Lake City
- Water Damage Restoration
- Frozen & Burst Pipes
- Basement Flooding & Runoff
- Sewer Backup Cleanup
- Mold Remediation
- Biohazard Cleanup
Salt Lake City ZIP codes we connect calls from
- 84101
- 84102
- 84103
- 84104
- 84105
- 84106
- 84108
- 84111
- 84115
- 84116
Salt Lake City questions
Who do I call about a water main break in Salt Lake City?
Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities runs a 24-hour emergency dispatch line at (801) 483-6700 for water, sewer and stormwater emergencies.
Do you cover the Avenues and Sugar House?
Yes. Calls from all of the Salt Lake City ZIP codes listed on this page can be connected, including the Avenues, Sugar House, Rose Park, Glendale, Capitol Hill and the east bench.
