With water use up amid heat, SLC officials urge residents to be mindful of drought and conserve

Salt Lake City officials warned this week that water use is up this time of year compared to the past several years, and they’re urging residents to be mindful of their consumption amid heat and drought. 

As Utah has seen an unusually warm spring this year — with temperatures in the Salt Lake valley reaching the 90s some days — the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities issued a news release Thursday warning that water use is up both overall and outdoors. 

The department reported water demand in recent weeks has been “trending upward compared to the average water demand over the last three years during the same time period.”

Great Salt Lake is again on the decline, and summer likely won’t help it

“We must protect our natural resources and support efforts for the Great Salt Lake,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall urged in a prepared statement. 

Laura Briefer, director of the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, said as of Thursday, total water use had increased by 5% in the department’s service areas, with outdoor water use up 10%. 

“Though snowpack in our area was average this year and our reservoirs are full right now, overall runoff is lower than expected, and much of the state is projecting drought conditions,” Briefer said. “It is important that our community members continue to focus on water conservation given these factors and the potential for drought conditions to worsen.”

In addition to providing water to Utah’s capital of Salt Lake City — which is home to more than 217,000 people —  the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities also services portions of suburban cities of Millcreek, Holladay, Cottonwood Heights, Murray, Midvale and South Salt Lake. 

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 95.5% of Utah was experiencing abnormally dry conditions as of Thursday, with 76.2% in moderate drought and 44.6% in severe drought. About 3.2% — an area concentrated in Washington County in the southwestern corner of the state — was in extreme drought. 

Utah creeps deeper into drought as long-term forecasts point to a hot summer

This time last year, only 23.9% of the state was classified as abnormally dry, according to the drought monitor. 

Plus, hotter than usual temperatures are expected to persist through the summer. According to the three month seasonal outlook from the National Weather Service, Utah is forecasted to have above average temperatures through August. As for rainfall, the service says it’s unclear whether there will be above or below average precipitation this summer. According to its models, there’s an equal chance of both in the majority of the state. 

Salt Lake City officials urged both homeowners and businesses to conserve water. They noted that the city offers a variety of programs meant to reduce water use indoors and outdoors, including landscaping rebates, low-water grass seed, irrigation controllers and water-wise toilets. 

Here are some of the water conservation programs and resources Salt Lake City officials highlighted: 

• Salt Lake City’s Turf Trade site, where customers can order low-water grass seeds.
• Utah State University’s Water Check program, which provides customized pressurized sprinkler schedules for select areas. 
• Salt Lake City’s Rain Barrel program, which sells rain barrels to Salt Lake City Public Utilities customers.
• Utah Water Savers’ Slow the Flow incentives programs for water-smart landscaping, toilet replacement, and smart sprinkler controller installation. 
• Central Utah Water Conservancy District’s commercial landscape, controller and toilet replacement rebates program. 
• Salt Lake City’s website that informs how to properly care for and water trees and other ways to conserve water.
• The Utah Department of Natural Resource’s weekly lawn watering guide.