6 Utah water companies miss deadline

SALT LAKE CITY — Six water companies in Utah are not compliant with the Water Conservation Plan Act because they failed to submit water conservation plans by the February deadline.

Those water delivery systems are Eagle Mountain, Helper, Parowan, Provo and Roy, as well as the Mountain Regional Special Service District in western Summit County.

The act requires water conservancy districts and retailers with more than 500 drinking water connections to prepare water conservation plans and five-year updates and submit them to the state Division of Water Resources. This requirement covers systems that provide water to about 93 percent of Utah's population. The act also stipulates that non-compliance is to be made public.

To date, 144 of the 150 agencies have submitted water conservation plans. Last year, 74 of these agencies were required to submit five-year updates. Of those, 68 submitted the updates, but the division notes that the 96 percent compliance rate is down from last year's rate of 99 percent.

All non-compliant agencies have been contacted and have indicated they are working on their plans, according to the division.

Utah has a statewide goal of reducing the per-capita water use by 25 percent through 2050, which will decrease water demand by more than 400,000 acre feet per year or more than 130 billion gallons.

This is the equivalent to filling the Jordanelle Reservoir beyond its full storage capacity or filling the Energy Solutions Arena (floor to ceiling) 11,500 times on a yearly basis. Since 2000, Utah residents have achieved a 14 percent reduction in per capita use, according to the division.

— Amy Joi O'Donoghue