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Jed Boal Reporting It appears Utahns got the conservation message during six years of drought. We continued to save water this summer when the supply was more plentiful. It was critical year, to finally get above normal precipitation.
If you haven't already turned off your sprinkling system, now is a good time. Lawns go dormant in the fall and if you water, you run the risk of freeze damage to the system.
Molly Waters, Water Conservation Coordinator: "As far as water use goes, we remained about the same as the previous year, but without the drought crisis response."
When the message to save was urgent, we all cut back. When rain fell last spring, the Division of Water Resources says we did NOT return to wasteful ways.
Molly Waters: "We've always said, we'll really find out how conservation is doing once we have a wet year. We got a wet year, and we're still down 17-percent from ten years ago."
So we've cut back 17-percent since 1995. But the statewide goal is a 25-percent reduction before the year 2050.
Molly Waters: "We succeed quickly with the first half of the goal. It's going to be the second part that's going to be tougher, we get into more drastic conserving behaviors."
Water Resources believes it's easy to cut out waste. We all may still have another 25-percent to 30 percent we can back. Now we have to look harder for places to save that water.
In Southern Utah you can cut back on watering as well; a half-inch a week in October should be fine.
