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BYU study answers how much water Utahns need to use this summer

Alice Kotlyarenko
/
Unsplash

With summer right around the corner, Utahns are starting to question how much water they’ll need to use and what it will cost. According to a new study from Brigham Young University, the answers to those questions might be surprising.

Headed by Rob Sowby, a BYU professor and civil engineer, a recent project looked at the irrigation bills of thousands of customers from two cities in Utah. According to Sowby, the project paired the information with aerial images and infrared imagery where they discovered that healthy landscapes are greener and cooler than other things seen in those images.

Sowby says that the project helped them discover that watering will only increase landscape health up to a certain point. After that point, the more water you add to your landscape, the quality of it doesn’t improve.

Based on the project’s findings, Sowby recommends that Utahns look at the Utah Division of Water Resources’ Weekly Lawn Watering Guide. The guide will provide information on the best times to water and will highlight the proper amount you should use.

On top of that recommendation, Sowby says that people should use technology as a solution. Smart irrigation controllers and timers that look ahead at the weather can help optimize irrigation timing.

Jared Gereau is pursuing a Journalism major with an emphasis in Social Media at Utah State University. He is planning on using his experience to pursue a career with USU Athletics sometime after he graduates. In his free time, Jared enjoys watching movies, playing games and creating content for his YouTube channel.