5B: Next Steps in Municipal and Industrial Water Conservation

Laura Vernon | Chapter Five: Utah's Future

conservation garden park, west jordan, ut | aaron fortin

TAKEAWAY

Efforts are underway to balance water supply in the Great Salt Lake Basin through continued conservation and regional collaboration.

Terms to Know

Municipal and industrial (M&I) water: Water used by cities, businesses, and industries, not farming.;

Depletion: a portion of water demand that doesnʼt return to the hydrologic System

The issues surrounding Great Salt Lake are going to require all water users to contribute to the solution of getting more water to the lake. As part of the development of the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan, the Utah Division of Water Resources has released a study titled “Municipal and Industrial (M&I) Water Conservation Opportunities.” Investigation of M&I water use examines conservation measures and their associated costs. The report also provides actionable recommendations to safeguard Great Salt Lake.

M&I is the second-largest human-related source of depletion in the Great Salt Lake Basin, after agriculture. Outdoor water use accounts for 96% of total M&I depletion, making it the top opportunity for conservation. Indoor water use has low depletion relative to outdoor use because most of it returns to the system after being treated through the sewer system. Reducing outdoor water use will be most effective in increasing potential flows to Great Salt Lake.

The study emphasizes the need to approach water planning at a regional or state level, rather than solely a local level. Local conservation programs exist, but not at the scale needed to offset growth demand. Broad adoption of efforts—like turfgrass replacement, allotment-based tiered rates, and efficient irrigation—is key to reducing basin depletions. The study recommends the introduction of region-specific depletion budgets that would account for the unique constraints with water supply and demand. Region-wide efforts to reduce depletions and find a balance among water users at the local citizen, city council, water system, and legislative levels are necessary to provide long-term water planning solutions for Great Salt Lake and all uses in the basin.

Figure 5.B.1 Municipal and Industrial Water Conservation Opportunities

The figure is a three-column infographic illustrating strategies for sustainable water management along the Wasatch Front. The first column, shaded blue and titled “Continue to Reduce Current Depletion,” presents three approaches. The first, “Turf Replacement Programs,” is represented by an icon of a hand holding leaves and states that “Turfgrass programs can focus on non-functional turfgrass, park strip, and tax-exempt land turfgrass replacement.” The second item, “Allotment-based Tiered Rate Structures,” is shown with a graph icon and states that “Tiered rates are essential for extra depletion savings, alongside secondary meters. Their effectiveness depends heavily on how customers understand and respond to information about their water use impacts.” The third item, “Landscape Irrigation Efficiency Programs,” is illustrated by a spout watering a plant and states that “These programs optimize outdoor water use by promoting best practices and technologies to reduce waste. They include smart irrigation controllers, efficient sprinklers, and educational initiatives for better water management.” The second column, shaded orange and titled “Promote Regional Collaboration,” includes two strategies. The first, “Support Sustainable Water Use,” has no icon and states “Empower local agencies to collaboratively develop and implement strategies that maintain a sustainable balance between basin wide water supply and demand.” The second, “Reduce Obstacles to Efficient Water Management,” also has no icon and states “Eliminate obstacles that hinder the adoption of efficient water management practices and promote the development of regionalization agreements to improve water system resiliency.” The third column, shaded green and titled “Limit Future Depletion While Supporting Future Population,” presents two initiatives. The first, “Future State Legislation: Water Wise Landscapes,” is shown with an icon displaying a pencil drawing a house on a piece of paper and states “Develop state-level legislation that leads to amendments in local development which promote water wise landscaping.” The second, “Regional Depletion Budgets,” is illustrated with a shower icon and states "Design regional water supply and depletion limits that can provide "budgets" for each GSL sub-basin. Regional partnerships can be developed that allocate maximum allowed depletion and minimum required return flow among water systems."