Photo: A Southern Utah home is seen before and after a landscape conversion as part of the Water Efficient Landscape Program (Washington County Water Conservancy)
This article originally appeared in KSL.com December 5, 2023 by Katie Workman
Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District is a political subdivision of the State of Utah that provides water to cities, improvement districts, and retail customers within Salt Lake County. It is one of the largest water districts in Utah. It employs 160 people in all aspects of water: raw water, treatment, delivery, development, and conservation.
Washington County Water Conservancy District is a not-for-profit public agency established in 1962. It’s focus is on conserving, developing, managing and stabilizing water supplies within the county in an ongoing effort to provide a safe, sustainable water supply for current and future generations.
ST. GEORGE — Do you wish your water bill was lower? Or that you could do something to help solve water shortages across the American West?
Turns out you can save the world and your pocketbook at the same time.
Water officials across Utah recently told KSL.com some of the easiest ways to save on water at the pump and in your wallet this time of the year.
Check for leaks online or at your meter
"This time of year, in northern Utah, there are some things that can get overlooked," said Courtney Brown, conservation programs manager at the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, which is one of largest water districts in Utah and supplies much of Salt Lake County. "The biggest thing is leaks."
"A lot of water is bursting without people even knowing it," Brown said.
"Toilets are super common one," he added, explaining that when the flapper valve in a toilet doesn't sit properly, water leaks through, continuously, until it's replaced. Sometimes you can hear the water running, but not always.
"Other times, as the water level in the tank goes down, the flow valve will turn on. So you'll hear that toilet running for you know, five or 10 seconds and then it'll stop and it'll just keep cycling every 10 minutes or so. If that happens, then it's a sure sign that that is leaking," he continued.
The best way to check for leaks is to log on to your water provider's web portal, where many cities allow residents to see their water usage in real time, Brown said.
"If there's continuous flow, that's a good indication that there's a leak — because obviously, for most of the day and night there shouldn't be any usage in a typical home."
If you don't have an online portal with water information, check your meter, Brown said.
"Take the lid off and look at it. ... If it's digital, the display will be flashing or there'll be an icon that shows that water's going through it. If it's the old time with a dial right in the center, there's a little triangle or some symbol that spins around."
Disconnect your hose
"Typically, we attach our garden hose to the outside faucet and we'll leave it on there," said Brown.
"But if you forget to take that off — especially if you have a nozzle on the end — then, you're trapping water in the hose that can freeze and you won't notice any problem until a pipe breaks."
Turn sprinklers off earlier
"Sprinklers are the biggest user of water, even in northern Utah," said Brown. "But by this time of the year, hopefully everyone's sprinklers should be turned off and winterized."
While Brown said northern Utah doesn't have a huge problem with forgetting to winterize sprinklers, the Washington County Water Conservancy District in St. George could not say the same.
Zachary Renstrom, general manager at the district, said the easiest and most effective way to save water is to "turn off your sprinklers faster."
"So what happens is, in the springtime, people go out and they see that their landscaping is suffering," Renstrom noted. "So they'll turn on the sprinklers. But in the fall they don't do that; they just keep their sprinkler system going until sometimes in December."
"You'll save money. Your plants will be just fine without it," Renstrom said.
"Surprisingly, most of our water waste, when it comes to irrigation, occurs in the fall," said Karry Rathje, communications and government affairs director at the Washington County Water Conservancy District.
Utahns should start dialing back their water usage in September, and especially in October when temperatures begin to cool, she added.
"We will pay up to $75 to replace a meter with a water-smart meter that is in tune with the weather," Rathje said. "They have soil moisture probes, so they know exactly how much water your particular landscape needs and you're not just arbitrarily setting the clock for X number of days per week and then leaving it alone for months."
Retrofit your landscape
Rathje said landscaping may be the most profitable water-saving venture for Utahns.
"Take out some grass that you're not currently using and replace it with water-efficient plants," she said. "Eliminating some of your nonfunctional grass is definitely going to yield the highest savings ... and we've got these great rebates that can help!"
Statewide rebates can offer Utahns between 50 cents and $3 per square foot for converting lawn area to more water-efficient landscaping.
Is your toilet older than 1994?
If so, the state of Utah will likely reimburse you $100 for a new toilet.
"If someone has a toilet that was installed prior to 1994, there's a good chance that it's a high-flow toilet," Brown said. "Those use three to seven gallons per flush. In 1994, they started making all toilets available as low flow toilets which use 1.6 gallons per flush."
"In recent years, they've even gotten better than that," he said. "Most of the toilets now that you can buy are 1.28 gallons or less; some are even less than a gallon per flush."
All of the rebates mentioned in this article can be found at Utahwatersavers.com.