…A few years ago, the Utah Foundation published a four-part series on water-related issues. Among its suggestions was that the state should tie water rates to property values in an effort to charge less to those who can afford it the least.
State lawmakers have searched for ways to rewrite laws governing agricultural water use. As a result, such users now can join to form water banks. These let them lease out water they don’t use. Another change lets them split their watering season, leasing water for only a certain time period.
The current drought is particularly persistent and extensive. It has been exacerbated by a changing climate and population growth. The level of the Great Salt Lake is of particular concern, given its role as an ecological catalyst that enhances snowstorms, resulting in large mountain accumulations and spring runoff.
It’s nothing several years of excess precipitation can’t fix, but in the meantime, those who live here need to find effective ways to use less water.
In its reports, the Utah Foundation also found that water companies see a 6.5% reduction in usage for every 10% increase in rates — a clear indication that pricing is the best way to promote conservation…
View Article