- A Taylorsville home demonstrates water conservation with innovative landscaping techniques.
- Replacing grass with woodchips and water-saving plants reduces water usage significantly.
- The project launches a statewide campaign to encourage water-saving landscaping in Utah.
TAYLORSVILLE — One of the biggest water conservation myths is that most water usage comes from inside the home. At a freshly relandscaped home in Taylorsville on Monday, experts on the topic refuted that claim.
With 60% of water usage going to outdoor landscapes, the waterwise home showcases a new way to save water, kicking off a statewide summer campaign to help "Slow the Flow."
"We are excited to be able to have residents see how this is done," said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson at the public event to show off the yard. "We really want every resident, especially when they take on a remodel, have some extra time or a few extra dollars, to be able to change how they are really benefiting our broader community."
The project is the first of several such landscaping models being created in Utah to demonstrate how water conservation can be done. Homeowners Lindsay Taylor and Gregory Snodgrass won a competition for the remodel and were excited to have the new landscaping adorning their home.
While water usage in 2021, 2022 and 2023 was below average in Utah, a large uptick was seen in 2024 and is tracking similarly for 2025, according to the Jordan Valley Water District. The Taylorsville landscape model provides a visual example of how individuals and families can make small changes to improve water conservation.
"We're hoping for the public and large homeowners, schools and government buildings to make changes to achieve durable conservation," said Alan Packard, general manager of the Jordan Valley Water District.
Water-conscious remodeling can take many forms, but the landscaping at the home in Taylorsville focused on a few specific areas.
Park strips. The park strip near the road is one of the most expensive areas to maintain, yet it is the least used, according to Tage Flint, CEO of Utah Water Ways. To mitigate costs and water usage, the remodeling team replaced the traditional grass in the park strip with woodchips and water-saving plants.
Lawn. Grass is also one of the largest water absorbers in a yard, requiring over 2,000 gallons of water with each irrigation cycle. The rule of thumb suggested by Flint is that if you don't step on the area of the lawn other than to mow, it might be a good idea to consider removing it.
Maintaining a lawn requires over 2,000 gallons of water with each irrigation cycle, Flint said. With grass being one of the most water-needy landscapes, the Taylorsville plan called for the removal of most of the traditional grass and replacing it with hybrid Bermuda grass, a specialty grass that leads to less water usage.
Waterwise plants. Plants that require less water and more cement in the yard also adorned the landscape. In total, Flint shared that the yard will only take about 20 minutes of maintenance time per week thanks to the relandscaping.
"I really think that these new landscapes, when they're done well, are stunning," Wilson said. "They're really beautiful and mixed with different textures, which we love here in the West."
The Taylorsville landscape serves as a model for just how much water use can be reduced in Utah.
"We want our kids and our grandkids to be able to enjoy the water that Utah has," Taylor said. "It's not going to replenish itself. We have to keep what we have and use it efficiently."
The Taylorsville location is kicking off a wider campaign across Utah to encourage water conservation. Wilson said homes in Herriman, Millcreek and Sandy will also feature the new ideas.
"You've heard us talk for a long time about more responsive and responsible landscapes. But now, we're actually demonstrating them visually," Flint said. "All the while, we will be sending out the message that this landscape is going to use half, or less, of the water that the typical northern Utah landscape uses right now."
While the sponsors and advocates for water conservation recognize that not every family is capable of an entire yard remodel, they do encourage each person to take small steps. Changing the park strip, removing portions of turf and watering the landscape less are small ways families and individuals can make a difference.
For more information on how to conserve water, visit the Slow The Flow website. Tours can also be taken of the Jordan Valley Water Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan to provide ideas and inspiration.
