Category Archives: Water Resources

As the Heat Rolls In, Be Water Wise

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With snow levels and spring run-off below average again this year, Salt Lake City Public Utilities is calling on its water customers to be watchful in regards to water use, avoiding both overwatering and water waste. Here are a few tips:

Sprinklers

  • Make sure sprinklers water the grass, and not patios or cement.
  • Check for clogged sprinkler heads and be sure to clear them out. Clogged heads will not evenly distribute water on your lawn and waste water.
  • Register for a free sprinkler check, which will include a catch cup test. The test evaluates the evenness of your watering system and will help you set up an effective and personalized irrigation schedule.

Other Tips for a Healthy Lawn

  • Healthy lawns should be watered deeply and infrequently so roots go down deep.
  • The higher you leave the grass, the healthier the lawn. Leave it about 2-3 inches high. This will ensure your lawn has a deeper root system.
  • Keep grass clippings on the lawn – they act like mulch to keep moister in and send nutrients back into your soil.

Don’t Forget Your Trees

It’s important to remember that trees have different watering needs than your lawn. Here are some helpful tips from Salt Lake City Urban Forestry (PDF). Also check out their list of Water Wise Trees (PDF).

Conserve Indoors

tapWaterWEBConserving water doesn’t stop outside! Here are some tips for water conservation indoors:

  • Only run the dishwasher when it is full.
  • Set your washing machine to the appropriate load size.
  • Don’t run the water while brushing your teeth, shaving or lathering your hands.
  • Store a pitcher of water in the refrigerator for drinking so you don’t have to let the faucet run for cold water.
  • Don’t use the toilet as a trash can (NEVER flush medications down the toilet!)

More tips from Salt Lake City’s Water Conservation program.

Landscape

  • Tips for a water wise landscape program:
    1. Analysis, Planning and Design. 
    2. Soil Improvement. Soil amendment helps correct poor water infiltration, percolation and drainage. Common amendments include compost, decomposed leaves or pine druff, manures or utelite.
    3. Efficient Irrigation. Match the amount of water supplied to your plant’s needs, group plants together according to their water needs. Turf should be irrigated separately.
    4. Limit Turf Areas. 
    5. Use Mulch. Mulch buffers soils against climate extremes.
    6. Use Low Water Demand Plants. 
    7. Maintain. Your garden will require extra maintenance before your plants fill in and establish themselves. Once that happens, demands decrease, plants require less water and weeds are crowded out.
  • Learn more about this process and access a list of Water Wise plants from Salt Lake City Public Utilities Water Conservation program.

Sprinkler Check Saves Water, Landscape & Money

Guest blog written by Stephanie Duer with Salt Lake City Public Utilities, Water Conservation Program.

Water is making headlines—the drought, water shortages, and use restrictions are in the news. Every city and water system is different, with some communities in more dire circumstances than others.

Here in the service area of Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, which includes the city as well as Cottonwood Heights, Holladay City, Mill Creek Township, and portions of Murray and South Salt Lake, our supply is reduced due to the low snow pack and spring run-off.

Good water management practices, coupled with historically strong community response to conservation programs means that, at least for the moment, we have adequate water stored to meet our needs this summer. However, we need to consider our future water needs as we use water today and act accordingly.

With this in mind, have you thought about getting a free sprinkler check?

The sprinkler check program is a free service designed to reduce water use while maintaining turf health. The service is offered to homeowners, property owners, and property managers with in-ground, pressurized lawn sprinkler systems.

gardenhoseUtah State University’s Kelly Kopp, Associate Professor and Extension Water Conservation Specialist, says that the program “helps people conserve water in an area of the greatest use, while maintaining landscape quality; we are enhancing the landscape by teaching homeowners and property managers how to conserve water and avoid the detrimental impacts of over-watering.”

Public Utilities, in partnership with USU and the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy, provides free sprinkler checks to all water customers within the Utilities’ service area. Begun in the late 1980’s with Salt Lake County Extension and Public Utilities, the sprinkler check program has grown to reach most of the state, with many water districts supporting the program in their communities.

Since the program’s beginning, hundreds of Utilities’ customers—residential, commercial, and institutional—have received free sprinkler checks and have been saving water—and money—ever since.

How the Sprinkler Check Works

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When you schedule a sprinkler check, a team from USU (usually two interns for residential audits and more for large sites like parks or schools) comes to the property and makes both visual and physical inspections of the sprinkler system.

With the sprinklers on, the team looks for sprinkler heads that are tilted, cracked, mismatched, or too low—anything that could reduce the system’s efficiency and lead to water waste or lowered landscape quality.

The team also conducts a catch cup test using calibrated cups for measuring water collected from the spray heads to determine how much water is applied and how evenly it covers the turf.

When the inspection and testing is complete, the team provides the home or property owner with a customized watering schedule and a list of improvements to increase system efficiency, reduce waste, and maintain or improve turf health.

“This program isn’t about deprivation; it’s about enhancing our landscapes by learning how to use water appropriately,” says Kopp, adding “at its core, the sprinkler check program speaks to the true mission of the Cooperative Extension program—to sustain our resources and constructed landscapes through science and shared knowledge.”

Sign Up for Your Free Sprinkler Check

Call 1-877-728-3420 or visit SlowTheFlow.org.

You can also find more ways to save water at SLCSaveH2O.com.

World Water Day 2013

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Today is World Water Day, a day to reflect on the importance of water in our daily lives. This year’s theme is Water Cooperation, in honor of the declaration of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation.

Did you know?

  • 85% of the world population lives in the driest half of the planet.
  • 783 million people do not have access to clean water, and almost 2.5 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation.
  • 6 to 8 million people die annually from the consequences of disasters and water-related disease.

Today, take a moment to appreciate how fresh, clean water impacts our lives. And although we can count ourselves lucky to live in a society that has easy access to safe, clean water, it is important that we do not take this resource for granted. In the arid West, and as climate change’s impacts are felt, water scarcity may become a more pressing issue.

Learn more about what Salt Lake City is doing to adapt to predicted earlier snowmelt along the Wasatch Front. And stop by Salt Lake City Green’s Water Resources page to learn more about our commitment to water quality and conservation.

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Fix a Leak Week

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This week marks national Fix a Leak Week sponsored by the U.S. EPA’s WaterSense partnership program. Nationwide, more than 1 trillion (yes, trillion with a T) gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. WaterSense’s Fix a Leak Week serves as a reminder to Americans to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems. With a little effort you’ll conserve one of our most important natural resources – and some money too!

Here are three things you can do this week to be water-wise:

  1. Check toilets for silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank and seeing if the color appears in the bowl before you flush.
  2. Twist and tighten pipe connections. To save even more water, twist in a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator or shower head.
  3. Replace fixtures as needed. Look for the WaterSense label when replacing plumbing fixtures, as these will save water and perform well.

There are some great virtual events and resources in conjunction with Fix a Leak Week:

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The Code Revision Project

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Several years ago, Salt Lake City embarked on a ground-breaking initiative to incorporate sustainability provisions into zoning and subdivision ordinances. The project set out to revise and expand upon existing ordinances that were out of date and/or put up barriers to sustainable city practices.

The topic areas considered include:

  • Transit-Oriented and Mixed Use Development (Ordinance adopted)
  • Urban Agriculture (Ordinances adopted)
  • Renewable Energy (Ordinances adopted)
  • Accessory Dwelling Units (Ordinance adopted)
  • Street, Pedestrian and Bicycle Connectivity
  • Water Efficient Landscape
  • Tree Protection
  • Recycling and Waste Reduction
  • Transportation Demand Management
  • Outdoor Lighting

Several ordinances have already been adopted by the Salt Lake City Council, with a the rest making progress along the approval process. Get a complete update on the project on the SLCGreen website. 

Questions? Let us know!

So You Want to Save Water? [Infographic]

We ran across this awesome infographic (thanks to our friends at SustainableUtah) that helps you understand how much water you consume in your everyday life. So, you want to save water? Start by understanding just how much water goes into your cup of coffee or glass of milk. Then check out their creative suggestions to reduce your water usage!

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Infographic from LochNess Water Gardens

Intermountain Sustainability Summit

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Next Thursday, February 28th, hundreds of Utahns will flock to Ogden to take part in the 4th Annual Intermountain Sustainability Summit.

The Intermountain Sustainability Summit 2013 is a premier event providing exceptional educational programs, networking, and trade show opportunities for government representatives, sustainability, energy, and solid waste professionals, students, politicians and interested public.

Sessions will be broken out into three topic areas:

  • Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Achieving Carbon Neutrality
  • Water Conservation, Quality and Management
  • Recycling and Waste Reduction and Elimination

Keynote speaker is L. Hunter Lovins, president and founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions (NCS). NCS educates senior decision makers in business, government and civil society about the principles of sustainability, and shows how to restore and further enhance natural and human capital while increasing prosperity and quality of life.

Registration is still open for this fantastic local sustainability event. Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to learn, share and network with other Utahns working towards a more sustainable future.

Be social: RSVP to the Facebook event.

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