SALT LAKE CITY — As Salt Lake City residents prepare for higher water and sewer bills beginning July 1, some are already making changes at home to offset the cost.
For Rose Park resident Clarissa Bartholomew, that means letting her lawn go yellow while protecting something she considers far more important: her garden.
Bartholomew has spent 36 years growing food in her backyard, raising tomatoes, peppers, beans, and squash that help feed her family.
Last summer, a water bill topping $400 forced her to rethink how she uses water.
“I’m not going to stop my garden,” Bartholomew said. “I would stop the grass before I stopped the garden for sure. We can’t eat the grass.”
The Salt Lake City Council approved a budget Tuesday that includes increases to water and sewer rates, as well as a $13.5 million property tax increase.
City officials said the utility increases are needed to maintain and replace aging infrastructure throughout the system.
Councilmember Victoria Petro said residents across her district have expressed concerns about the additional cost.
“It’s the greatest source of anxiety for most people, even over the tax increase,” Petro said.
According to the city, low-volume utility users could see monthly water and sewer bills increase by roughly $17 to $25, while medium users could see larger increases depending on consumption levels.
Petro acknowledged that many residents felt frustrated because they are being asked to conserve water while paying more for the service.
“The sad truth is I have to ask people to pay more when they use less because if we do our job right and conserve, we still need as much money to fix those pipes as we did when you used more,” she said.
Petro said the increases are tied to essential infrastructure projects and not discretionary spending.
“We’re not doing a water feature somewhere with this money,” she said. “It is all to make sure water service stays safe, consistent and healthy.”
Bartholomew said she understands the need to invest in the system, but worries about neighbors who may struggle to absorb another increase.
“I don’t know how they’re getting by,” she said. “How do you do that on a fixed income?”
To reduce her own water use, Bartholomew installed drip irrigation, cut back on watering, and shifted resources away from her lawn. Even so, she said some things are nonnegotiable.
After more than three decades tending her garden, it’s one expense she’s not willing to cut.
