HOLLADAY, Utah — Frustrations are mounting in a Holladay neighborhood as residents continue to face frequent water and power outages, a problem that has persisted for months. Homeowners like Daren Taylor have been left without basic utilities for days at a time, sometimes with little or no warning.
On Sunday, Taylor was greeted by a flooded driveway at a neighbor’s home, a clear sign that another water main break had occurred in the area. With a sense of dread, she immediately began filling her bathtub with water, preparing for another all-day outage. Unfortunately, this was not the first time Taylor has had to deal with such disruptions. Just days earlier, the neighborhood had experienced a similar water outage. In fact, Taylor recalled that last Easter, her household had been without water for over 36 hours.
“The pipes are old,” Taylor explained. “They need to be replaced entirely, not just patched up. It disrupts the whole neighborhood.”
Taylor, who works from home, finds these ongoing outages particularly challenging. Without water, she struggles to complete essential daily tasks like cooking, cleaning, and even drinking. Additionally, the power interruptions leave her without internet, which makes it difficult to fulfill her job responsibilities.
The issue appears to be widespread in the area. According to the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, there were four water line breaks on Sunday alone, following another break earlier in the week. The department confirmed that the Ductile Iron pipes in the area, installed in the 1980s, are the cause of the recurring problems.
While the department has acknowledged the issue and classified the water main replacement as a high priority, no timeline has been provided for when the pipes will be replaced. A spokesperson explained that the project requires engineering and field verification before work can begin.
“We understand the frustration of our residents,” the spokesperson said. “These pipes have outlived their expected lifespan, and we are working to replace them as soon as possible.”
However, for now, residents like Taylor are left waiting for a permanent solution. Taylor is hopeful that the city will expedite the replacement process, even if it means more temporary disruption during construction.
“I know it’s a big undertaking,” she said. “But once the work is done, we won’t have to worry about this anymore.”
As the community grows more desperate for a fix, the ongoing situation raises questions about the condition of infrastructure across the city. While the aging pipes are a clear cause of the outages, the timeline for repairs remains unclear, leaving many residents to wonder how long they will continue to face this inconvenience.
In the meantime, Holladay residents continue to cope with the uncertainty, hoping for a long-term resolution to a problem that has become all too familiar.