2 water companies fail to file updated plans

The Utah Division of Water Resources has identified two water companies as noncompliant with the Water Conservation Plan Act.

Gunnison City Corporation Water and Escalante Culinary Water failed to file their required five-year update plans, as required by the act.

Out of 148 water agencies, Gunnison and Escalante were the only ones that failed to comply, according to the state division, which has been charged to oversee the act's implementation.

The act requires any district or retailer with more than 500 drinking water connections — which applies to 93 percent of Utah's population — to submit water conservation plans.

Each water entity was asked to come up with a five-year conservation plan, said Jim Gass, Smithfield city manager, who compiled and submitted his city's goals.

"They're not tough requirements, but it's something they (the division) take seriously," he said. "The hard part was coming up with the plan. Right now we're basically reporting back on it."

Since the act requires that compliance be made public, the division disclosed the noncompliance in a news release.

According to the statement, each entity is to assist in the statewide goal of reducing the per capita water use in 2000 by at least 25 percent by 2050.

By reaching the goal, the state will decrease demand by more than 400,000 acre-feet of water per year, or more than 130 billion gallons, said Eric Klotz, division spokesman.

The conserved amount would be "enough water to fill Jordanelle Reservoir beyond its full storage capacity, or fill EnergySolutions Arena floor to ceiling 11,500 times on a yearly basis," Klotz said. "Per capita use will be measured again in 2010. The last measurement in 2005 showed a 14 percent reduction."

Calls to both noncompliant companies Wednesday were not immediately returned.

E-mail: jhancock@desnews.com