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Richard Piatt reportingThere is new evidence of the serious water situation in Utah this year: A deal to bring more water to Salt Lake City and Sandy.
Under an agreement, Salt Lake City and Sandy will borrow gallons and gallons of water to insure the drought doesn't reach crisis proportions here.
Think about borrowing water, and you wonder: How? The answer is, divert it from one of Utah's major reservoirs. And that's exactly what will happen this summer.
We're talking 10-thousand acre feet of water, enough for 50-thousand people to use this summer. The water will be diverted from Jordanelle Reservoir to Salt Lake City and Sandy. It would originally go to the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, who officially released the water because it's use isn't as great.
The fact the most populated cities in the state are borrowing water to handle this summer's drought is a strong sign that not only is the extra water needed, but that conservation is essential.
Don Christiansen/Central Utah Water Conservancy District: "THIS WATER THAT WE'RE MAKING AVAILABLE WON'T MAKE IT SO THEY CAN WASTE IT. IT'LL ONLY MAKE IT SO PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A REASONABLE WATER SUPPLY THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER."
The waste people are talking about mostly comes from watering lawns. Water experts say two-thirds of water use in the summer goes to people's lawns, which leaves a lot of room for conservation.
This measure comes on the heels of another strong sign of a serious drought: A new rate structure for water in Salt Lake city. Rates will go up an average of 13 per cent starting June First in an effort to encourage water conservation.
