Water Conservation

Bulletin Board

Water Conservation

Salt Lake City is making progress in managing water use, but there is still more to be done. An additional 25 percent reduction in outside water usage is planned.

By LeRoy W. Hooton, Jr.

July 20, 2000

Introduction

Water is the life blood of Utah

Utah is the second driest state in the nation with a statewide annual precipitation of 13 inches, with very little of this falling during the summer growing season. About 91 percent of the precipitation is returned to the atmosphere through evaporation.

Because water is so scarce, political and water leaders have done everything possible to develop a dependable and adequate water supply. The history of the State of Utah is one of a continuous quest for water. Starting with the early diversions from local canyon streams to massive trans-basin projects such as the Central Utah Project, water has been developed for a growing state population.

Water availability affects demographics. The state of Utah is the 12 th largest state with 82,000 square miles, but about 80 % of the state's population resides on about 5 percent of the land along a narrow strip abutting the Wasatch Mountain Range—where much of the water is available. With mountain peaks rising to over 13,000 feet in elevation, these mountain watersheds receive up to 60 inches or more of water in the form of snow.

The winter snowpack melts in the spring and is diverted into water treatment plants or onto cultivated fields sustaining both people and crops. Dams and reservoirs store the high spring flows for use later in the summer months.

Salt Lake City's Water Sources of Supply

Salt Lake City delivers about 100,000 acre-feet of retail municipal water to 400,000 residents within the corporate limits of Salt Lake City and unincorporated eastern Salt Lake County. Approximately 57 percent of the current water supply comes from Wasatch Canyon streams bordering eastern Salt Lake County. Fifteen percent is ground water either from springs or deep wells situated throughout eastern Salt Lake County. Twenty-seven percent of the supply is provided from the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake City (MWDSLC) from Deer Creek Reservoir located in Provo Canyon, Utah County. All surface waters are treated by conventional water treatment and filtration facilities. Chlorine residual is maintained within the water distribution system. As the population grows, additional water supply will come from the Central Utah Project (CUP). The MWDSLC has an approved petition for 20,000 acre-feet of water from the Bonneville Unit of the CUP with deliveries to begin in 2005.

Early Water Conservation Efforts

Water consumption in Utah is high. Not only is it the second driest state in the union, it is second in water consumption. Nevada is the driest and consumes the most water. According to the U.S. Geology Survey (USGS), Nevada's 1990 per capita consumption was 344 gallons per day, followed by Utah at 308 gallons per day. In 1997, Salt Lake City’s per capita consumption was 236 gallons per day. According to USGS, the national average is 183.

During the early history of the city, metering was considered the strongest conservation measure, as users paid for the water they consumed. Metering and rates were the basic tools to encourage water conservation. Mail stuffers, public education and public pronouncements all stressed the "Wise use of water."

In 1976, the rate structure was changed from a declining block rate to a rate structure that did not allow lower rates to large water users.

During the late 1980s, with a growing population there came the realization those water supplies had to stretch to serve more people. The State’s population in 1989 was about 1.7 million with projections that it would grow to 3.11 million people by the year 2020.

Beginning in 1988, Utah experienced a 5-year drought that accelerated water conservation efforts. This was the turning point in water conservation awareness.

Central Utah Completion Act

The Central Utah Project (CUP) develops water from the State’s Colorado River apportionment. The Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD) is the local sponsor of the project and operates and maintains 8 dams with 1.6 million acre-feet of storage capacity, three main river diversions, 70 miles of large diameter tunnels and pipelines and three water treatment plants.

The Bonneville Unit develops 94,750 acre-feet of municipal and industrial (M&I) water, 112,600 acre-feet of irrigation water and 44,400 acre-feet of instream flow for a total of 251,750 acre-feet of water. Water from the Uinta Basin watershed that would otherwise flow to the Colorado River is diverted through a collection system to Strawberry Reservoir. Water stored in the Strawberry Reservoir is released through the Syar Tunnel into the Spanish Fork River into Utah Lake. This exchange water in Utah Lake allows water to be stored in Jordanelle Reservoir for M&I use in Utah and Salt Lake Counties. The 314,006 acre-foot Jordanelle Reservoir is the centerpiece of the Bonneville Unit, storing water from the Utah Lake exchange and high flows in the Provo River.

In the early 1990s, CUP was reauthorized by Congress. The reauthorization reflected strong environmental and conservation measures.

On November 1, 1992, President Bush signed H.R. 429 the Reclamation Projects Authorization And Adjustment Act of 1992 (PL. 102-575) that included the Central Utah Project Completion Act. Under Section 207, Water Management Improvement

The purposes of this section are, through such means as are cost-effective and environmentally sound, to – (1) encourage the conservation and wise use of water; (2) reduce the probability and duration of periods necessitating extraordinary curtailment of water use; (3) achieve beneficial reductions in water use and system costs; (4) prevent or eliminate unnecessary depletion of waters in order to assist in the improvement and maintenance of water quantity, quality, and streamflow conditions necessary to a augment water supplies and support fish, wildlife, recreation, and other public benefits; (5) make prudent and efficient use of currently available water prior to any importation of Bear River water into Salt Lake County, Utah; and provide a systematic approach to the accomplishment of these purposes and an objective basis for measuring their achievement.
Water Management Improvement Plan. The Central Utah Water Conservancy District, after consultation with the State and with each petitioner of project water, shall prepare and maintain a water management plan. The first plan shall be submitted to the Secretary by January 1, 1995. Every three years thereafter the District shall prepare and submit a supplement of this plan. The Secretary shall either approve or disapprove such plan or supplement thereto within six months.
Section 207 continues to require a minimum conservation goal if 30,000 acre-feet per year. Ultimately, the District set a goal of 40,000 acre-feet of water. The legislation further defined the use of the saved water, required a water conservation pricing study and formed a Utah Water Conservation Advisory Board to recommend water conservation standards and regulations for promulgation by State and local authorities. Time schedules and penalties were also contained in the Act.

Water Restrictions

During droughts and water short years, Salt Lake City has the power to impose restrictions.

Under Salt Lake City’s Code, 17.16.080 Water Use Limited By Proclamation: In the event of the scarcity of water, whenever it shall be necessary, in the judgment of the Mayor, the Mayor shall, by proclamation, limit the use of water for other than domestic purposes, to such extent as may be required for the public good.

Section 17.16.090 Violation of Proclamation Prohibited Penalty: It is unlawful for any person, by himself or herself, family, servants or agents, to violate any proclamation made by the Mayor in pursuance of Section 17.06.080 of this Article, or its successor, and if any violation thereof shall occur, then in addition to any other penalty therefore the water supply to the premises upon which such violation occurs shall be shut off, and if shut off on that account, it shall not be turned on again until the payment of such amount for each violation of the proclamation as the Mayor shall determine.

Water Conservation Rates and Pricing

In 1981, Salt Lake City restructured its sewer rates based on use. Water consumed during the winter months is the basis for sewer charges. Consumed water during this period is assumed to all go into the sanitary sewer, as there is no outside watering or air conditioning during the winter months. Prior to the new rate structure, sewer charges were either based on taxation or a flat user charge. Once the customers were charged based on usage, there was an economic incentive for homeowners and businesses to fix leaking plumbing fixtures, and in the case of businesses, to change the way they did business to reduce their sewer bills. This resulted in a reduction of flow to the City’s wastewater treatment plant, extending the life of this facility, and a total savings of over 4,000 acre-feet of water consumption per year. This amounted to about a 4 percent reduction in water supplied to the municipal system.

In 1991, the Salt Lake City Public Utilities Advisory Committee began looking at water conservation rates. A consultant was hired and options developed. In 1993, the Committee recommended a peaking water rate structure to reduce peak demand on the system and reduce summer use water consumption. The City Council approved the new rate structure in 1994. The rate during the summer months of June, July, August and September is 50 percent higher than during the remaining months. During that same year, Utah State Extension Services was hired to conduct an education program, answer questions and perform water audits.

Results indicate that the peaking rates have curbed growth peak demand. Despite a growth rate of nearly ten percent in connections during the past decade, the annual water usage trend line is flat and peak demand is slightly declining.

Utah State Extension Services’ data indicates that the 69 large water users within Salt Lake City’s service area who were audited and trained in water use efficiency reduced their consumption by 28.7 percent. Forty-eight residential accounts, in a pilot program, reduced their outdoor water consumption by 23.4 percent during the past 2 years.

With growing public awareness, school education programs and rates that encourage both indoor and summer outdoor water consumption, Salt Lake City appears to be making headway in managing consumption and peak demand on the distribution system.

Conclusion

As Salt Lake City looks to the future, conservation will continue to play a strong role in its water management. During the next two decades, it is the goal to reduce outside watering by 25 percent, saving 13,000 acre-feet of water annually.

In the future, besides conservation, reuse of treated wastewater effluent will be considered for large green spaces such as parks, golf courses and freeway irrigation. This source of water may also be used in certain industrial applications. Conversion of agricultural irrigation water to municipal water supply will continue into the future as farmlands are developed and urbanized. During the FY 2000-2001budget process, the Salt Lake City Council adopted “Legislative Intent” to investigate a secondary water system within the City’s Northwest Quadrant.

As the Salt Lake Valley population growth potential continues into the future, more aggressive water conservation programs will be required to meet the community’s basic water needs and to protect against droughts.