Gov. Spencer Cox said efforts to conserve water during what may be Utah’s driest year have been successful so far. But, he said more changes need to be made looking to the future.
Cox was joined by Utah water officials at the Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan for a press conference on Thursday.
Cox said not only have Utahns been successful in efforts to conserve water this year, they have also been successful in reducing wildfires. Moving forward, the governor said Utahns need to remain vigilant in water conservation practices.
“This drought has caused us all to reevaluate when it comes to conservation, and how important conservation is to the future of our state," he said.
Cox said Utah’s water agencies are developing a comprehensive state water plan that includes installing secondary water meters, better integration of land use planning and water planning, optimizing agricultural water use and starting a turf buyback program.
Bart Forsyth is the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District General Manager and joined Gov. Cox to discuss successful water conservation measures.
One measure is standards set by the conservancy district that require new landscaping to be water wise. Forsyth said Herriman, Bluffdale, South Jordan and West Jordan are four of the cities where the standards have been adopted.
“The amount of water that will be saved as a result of this is going to be astounding," he said.
Gov. Cox said Utahns are doing their part to save water, but there is much more they can do.
