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Foreword
- Utah State University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
vii Foreword Utah is one of the five fastest growing states in the nation, and it shares a border with the four other fastest growing states. From 1990 to 2000, Utah’s population increased by more than 510,000 people to over 2.2 million. In simple terms, Utah’s semiarid terrain is sprouting another city approximately the size of Salt Lake City (1990 population of 160,000) about every three years. According to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, Utah’s rapid growth will continue, with the population more than doubling to nearly five million by 2050. As Utah’s population blossoms, so will the demand for Utah’s limited water resources. If Utah’s municipal and industrial (M&I) water demands increase at the same rate as its population, the state is headed for trouble. However, since Utahns currently use more water than they need, particularly in watering their landscapes, the opportunity exists to avoid many of these problems by reducing use to a more efficient level. Water conservation will play a significant role in helping Utahns use water more efficiently. This increased efficiency will reduce water demands and help water suppliers meet future needs. In addition to this important benefit, water conservation can also: • Delay expensive capital investments to upgrade or expand existing water facilities. • Reduce sewage flows, delaying the need for more wastewater treatment facilities. • Conserve energy, as less water needs to be treated, pumped, and distributed to the consumer. • Lessen the leaching of chemicals and sediments into streams and aquifers. • Reduce stream diversions, thereby enhancing water quality as well as environmental and recreational functions. • Improve water levels in reservoirs. viii Water-Efficient Landscaping in the Intermountain West Few Utahns dispute the value of water conservation; however, there is debate about how it will happen and who is responsible for making sure it does. In reality , every Utahn is responsible for making it happen. The state of Utah has developed a specific goal to conserve water use directly linked to M&I needs. This goal is to reduce the 1995 per capita water demand from public community systems by at least 25% before 2050. Specifically, demand will need to decline from 321 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) to a sustained 240 gpcd or less. The accomplishment of this goal is equivalent to a total decrease in demand of about 400,000 acre-feet per year by 2050, and represents the most significant component in meeting Utah’s future water needs. The goal is based on modeling and research that indicates indoor and outdoor water use can reasonably be reduced by 25% or more. Indoor reductions will be realized through public education and the installation of more efficient fixtures and appliances. Outdoor reductions will also be realized through public education, along with more efficient application of water on landscapes, and reduction in turfgrass areas. Water-wise landscaping will be an integral part of meeting our goals. Eric Klotz Utah Division of Water Resources ...