SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah -- Water managers know there is no simple fix to save water. It will take effort from people and businesses. That’s why Salt Lake County leaders rolled out water-wise recommendations Monday morning.
Saving water is a top priority for Salt Lake County leaders after a dry winter. Despite the recent rainfall, the precipitation didn’t put a dent into the needed water supply, according to county officials.
To help conserve the water the county has, leaders are encouraging the public to abide by the following recommendations:
-Turn sprinklers to manual mode
-Water manually
-Water between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
If the recommendations are not followed, county officials may have to put out water restrictions – but they don’t think they’ll have to go that route if residents change their habits.
"Generally in Salt Lake County, we're unique with this huge population center over one-third of states population -- we're still planning and believe we're going to be just fine without mandatory restrictions,” said Richard Bay, CEO of Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. “What we are asking the public to do is be very conscious of water use and to adopt non-wasteful practices.”
Salt Lake County leaders have a goal to reduce water usage per person at 25 percent by 2025. The county has reached about 15 percent of that goal.
The last 10 percent is the challenge, and that’s why they’re calling on residents to do their part.
While two-thirds of water is used outdoors, one way to save it is to change the way people landscape. The Jordan Valley Water Conservation Garden Park, 8275 S. 1300 West in West Jordan, provides examples of how to make a yard look nice without using a lot of water by using drought-tolerant plants.
