Doug Bennett oversees development and implementation of the Washington County's Water Conservancy District's policies and programs.
He joined us with how Washington County is leading Utah's conservation initiatives.
His is the only county in Utah to adopt uniform water conservation standards across all cities served by the district and those standards are the most aggressive in the state.
They include prohibiting non-functional grass in all non-residential development and limiting grass in residential development to eight percent of the lot size with a cap for large lots ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 square feet, depending on the municipality.
Washington County now has the greatest reduction in water use and the highest water efficiency standards for new construction.
Seasonal tiers limit how much water you can use - 8,000 gallons in the winter months, 15,000 gallons in the spring and fall and 20,000 in the summer.
There's an excess water use surcharge for customers with high water usage.
Many people in the county also participate in the statewide grass replacement program. Doug says Washington County is leading the way there, having replaced about one-third of all grass statewide with only seven percent of the population.
He says, "We have replaced almost 3 million square feet in less than 3 years saving 120 million gallons of water annually – that's enough to provide water to more than 600 homes."
Doug says because Utah is one of the driest and fastest growing states it's critical we all use our water resources wisely.
Utah also has the nation's top-performing economy. "Our economic stability is completely dependent on our ability to provide our communities a safe, reliable water supply," Doug says.
Residents and business owners looking to reduce their water footprint can visit Slowtheflow.org to see a list of all the current incentives.
