SALT LAKE CITY — Mayor Erin Mendenhall said city-owned and operated facilities will be cutting water use even more this year as Utah's drought continues.
At an Earth Day news conference on Wednesday, the mayor highlighted efforts the city has made to combat the effects of climate change, including air quality and watershed initiatives. She also noted the ongoing drought situation.
This year, Salt Lake City has a goal to cut water use by 14% across city facilities.
"As a city government, we’re placing restrictions on ourselves so you will see more yellow and some brown spots in some city green spaces, we’re going to take those restrictions a little bit farther on ourselves," Mayor Mendenhall told FOX 13 News.
Residents will not be required to make cuts. Mayor Mendenhall said residents were great at voluntarily conserving water, making a requirement unnecessary. In fact, Salt Lake City residents saved more than two billion gallons of water last year through voluntary efforts to reduce water consumption. She urged people to keep it up again this summer.
Governor Spencer Cox told FOX 13 News that a state of emergency for drought is likely to be issued within the next few weeks. Nearly the entire state is in severe drought.
