Water services & main extensions
Service laterals, main extensions and looping for new lots, drawn in plan and profile to the city or district standard, like a new water line in north Ephraim.
Water and Sewer System Design for Utah Properties: Engineering Requirements
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Water · Sewer · Irrigation · Drainage · Utah
Water & Sewer System Design for Utah Properties. The Engineering Requirements, Explained.
What it takes to get water and sewer to new lots in Utah: the state separation and sizing rules, the approvals, and the design process from survey to as-built. With water, sewer and irrigation engineering in our records from Nephi, Manti, Moroni, Spring City and Santaquin.
The short answer
What Does Water and Sewer Design Require in Utah?
A topographic survey of existing lines, a will-serve answer from the city or district, and plan-and-profile drawings stamped by a Utah PE that meet local standards and state rules: water and sewer at least 10 feet apart, water 18 inches above sewer at crossings, and gravity sewers at least 8 inches. Then review, construction staking and an as-built.
Your city’s standards are often stricter than the state minimums. We design to whichever governs.
- Water–sewer separation10 ft horizontal, 18 in vertical
- Min. gravity sewer8 inches
- Civil design jobs82 in our records
- Stamped byA Utah PE
01 · What we design
Six Kinds of Utility Work
Each one starts with a survey of what’s already in the ground.
Sewer laterals & gravity mains
Sewer profiles that reach basements, keep velocity and stay clear of water lines, like the sewer design on a 2026 four-lot division in Manti.
Secondary water & irrigation lines
Ditch piping and irrigation lines through new subdivisions, like our Moroni irrigation line engineering.
Drainage & storm drain
Where storm water goes, sized and graded so lots and streets drain. See site planning & grading.
Sites without sewer
Where there’s no sewer, the local health department permits onsite systems. We provide the survey and site plan the application needs.
Surveys for water rights
Surveys of acreage, wells and points of use for water right filings and proofs. See well proofs.
02 · Utah rules
The State Minimums Every Design Has to Meet
A plain-language summary of two Utah rules. Cities and districts often add their own, stricter standards.
Water and sewer separation (R309-550-7)
- 10 feet horizontally between water and sanitary sewer lines, measured edge to edge.
- At crossings, the water main at least 18 inches above the sewer.
- No shared trench for water and sewer.
- Reduced separation, down to 6 feet, only where conditions make 10 feet impossible, with the reasons and details on the plans.
- A sleeve on a new force main within 10 feet of a water main it crosses under.
Source: Utah Admin. Code R309-550-7
Gravity sewers (R317-3-2)
- Gravity sewers at least 8 inches in diameter; 6 inches may be allowed for a single connection or with justification.
- Deep enough to serve basements and prevent freezing, or insulated.
- Slopes that give at least 2 feet per second flowing full.
- Manholes at least every 400 feet on lines 15 inches and smaller, and at the end of lines over 150 feet.
Source: Utah Admin. Code R317-3-2
These are summaries for planning, not a substitute for the full rules or your city’s standards.
03 · The process
From Survey to As-Built
Six steps. The survey, staking and as-built all come from the same control, so the lines end up where they were designed.
Survey what’s there
A topographic survey with existing mains, manholes, valves, inverts and depths, plus Blue Stakes markings.
Confirm service
A will-serve or capacity answer from the city, district or irrigation company before design starts.
Design plan & profile
Pipe sizes, slopes, depths, crossings and separations, drawn to the local standard and the state rules.
Approvals
City or district engineer review, and state review where public water or sewer systems require it.
Stake it
Construction stakes for line and grade, from the same control as the design.
As-built it
As-built surveys of what went in the ground, for city acceptance and future locates.
04 · From our files
Water, Sewer and Irrigation Work
From our records, without client names.
- Manti · 2026Boundary, topo, a four-lot division and sewer design.
- Spring City · 2025An agricultural division and one-lot subdivision with road, sewer and water engineering.
- Nephi · 2020–2025A topographic survey for a new water line (2025) and a sewer line design (2020).
- Santaquin · 2024Boundary, topo and utility survey with water, sewer and irrigation engineering.
- Mount Pleasant · 2024A boundary survey with water and sewer engineering.
- Moroni · 2022–2023Subdivision sewer, water and road engineering; a boundary with sewer profile; road and irrigation line engineering; and a sewer line.
- Ephraim & Fairview · 2021–2022A north Ephraim water line and a Fairview waterline.
- Earlier workSewer designs in Nephi, Payson, Salem and Mount Pleasant; sewer work in Elk Ridge and Provo; water tank elevations; and drainage designs.
05 · Cost
What Utility Design Costs
Design is quoted by scope as a fixed fee. These are the surveys and plans it’s built around.
| Work | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Topographic & utility survey | $1,500–$4,500 | Existing lines, inverts and grades |
| Boundary survey, recorded lot | $1,025–$1,800 | Keeps lines in easements and rights-of-way |
| Residential site plan | $1,500–$3,500 | Often includes service connections |
| Grading & drainage plan | $2,000–$6,500 | Storm drainage for a site or phase |
| Water, sewer & irrigation design | Quoted by scope | Length, depth, crossings and connections |
| Construction staking | $1,500–$5,500+ | Line and grade |
| As-built survey | $500–$8,000+ | For city acceptance |
Building lots? See subdivision design & platting and land development in Utah.
06 · Who does the work
The Engineer Behind the Design
Licensed in Utah, in the same office as the surveyors who locate the lines.
J. Brett Ludlow, PE
Civil engineer · Ludlow Engineering, Nephi
Brett designs and stamps the water, sewer, irrigation and drainage plans on our projects, from a single new service to subdivision mains.
Our survey crews locate the existing lines first and stake and as-built the new ones after. Meet the whole team.
07 · Direct answers
Water & Sewer Design Questions, Answered.
Who designs water and sewer lines for a new lot or subdivision in Utah?
A licensed professional engineer, working to the city or district's standards and the state rules. Our engineer, J. Brett Ludlow, PE, designs and stamps water, sewer, irrigation and drainage plans in the same office as our surveyors.
How far apart do water and sewer lines have to be in Utah?
Utah's drinking water rules call for at least 10 feet horizontally, and where they cross, the water main at least 18 inches above the sewer. They can't share a trench. Reduced separation is allowed only under specific conditions.
What size does a sewer main have to be?
Utah's wastewater rules set 8 inches as the minimum for gravity sewers, with 6 inches possible for a line serving a single connection or with justification. Your city may require more.
Does the state have to approve my water or sewer design?
Public water and sewer systems are subject to state review, and cities and districts review everything connecting to their systems. We prepare the plans and documents those reviews need.
What if my property doesn't have sewer?
The local health department permits onsite wastewater (septic) systems. We provide the survey and site plan for the application; the health department sets the system requirements.
Do you need a survey before utility design?
Yes. Design starts from a topographic survey with the existing lines, manholes and inverts located, plus the property lines so the new lines stay in easements and rights-of-way.
What does water and sewer design cost?
Design is quoted by scope as a fixed fee. The survey it starts from runs $1,500–$4,500 for a topo, and construction staking $1,500–$5,500+.
Can you stake and as-built the lines too?
Yes. Our crews stake line and grade during construction and survey the as-built locations the city needs for acceptance.
Utah PLS & PE · Since 1975
Need Utilities Designed?
Call or send the parcel number and what you’re connecting. We’ll check what the city requires and quote a fixed fee.
Related services & guides
More Engineering Services & Guides
↑ All Civil Engineering ServicesEngineering from the same office as the survey
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- Land DevelopmentEntitlement, engineering and platting
- Subdivision Design & PlattingLot splits to multi-phase subdivisions
- Commercial Site DevelopmentEngineering for commercial sites
- Lot Line AdjustmentsMove or combine lot lines
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- EasementsEasement surveys and legal descriptions
- Site Planning & DesignPermit-ready site plans, from $1,500
Who's behind this page
Licensed Utah Surveyors & Engineers Since 1975.
Ludlow Engineering has surveyed and engineered Utah property for 51 years. Every survey and plan is prepared under a licensed professional, not handed off.
J. Brett Ludlow
Professional EngineerState of Utah
Stamps our site plans, foundation designs and civil engineering.
Daryl Penrod
Professional Land SurveyorState of Utah No. 5331527
Directs our boundary, topographic, ALTA and subdivision surveys.
Travis Ludlow
Partner & Managing MemberMBA
Managing Member of Ludlow Engineers and Associates
Since 197551 years, family-run in Nephi
5,606projects tracked since 2000
1,200+survey maps filed with Utah counties
19 countiesacross Utah where we've worked
Our civil design record
82 civil design projects since 2000, in 5 Utah counties.
Most recent: Aug 2026.
Recent projects
- Civil designSpanish Fork, Utah County
- Civil designMount Pleasant, Sanpete County
- Civil designMayfield, Sanpete County
- Civil designNephi, Juab County
- Civil designOrem, Utah County
Counts come from Ludlow Engineering's project records (2000–present, updated Oct 2026). Client names are never shown.