Utah is working to transition its vast secondary water systems toward mandatory metering following legislative mandates and state funding initiatives designed to increase water conservation. The move aims to address the fact that approximately 85% of all locations with access to secondary water remained unmetered as of 2022.
Legislative Mandates and Funding
The push for widespread metering follows the 2022 passage of H.B. 242 by the Utah Legislature. This law requires that water meters be installed by 2030 on all new and existing pressurized secondary water systems. To support this transition, the Legislature appropriated $250 million in grants to assist operators of those systems in meeting the new requirements. An additional $18 million was appropriated for the Secondary Water Meters Program in 2023.
Secondary water refers to untreated, nonpotable water used for the irrigation of landscapes, including lawns, gardens, parks, and other outdoor areas. In Utah, these systems are often located on urban properties that were previously agricultural lands. While treated culinary water is typically provided for indoor use, secondary systems provide a cost-effective method for outdoor irrigation. Many of these systems draw water from Bureau of Reclamation storage projects. Currently, Utah maintains approximately 260,000 locations statewide that utilize secondary water.
Weber Basin Successes
The Weber Basin Water Conservancy District (WBWCD) has served as a primary model for the effectiveness of secondary metering. As the district holds the largest contiguous secondary water system in the United States, it has faced unique challenges in finding technology capable of metering "raw" or untreated water. Following the availability of functional secondary water meters in 2009, the district began implementing retrofit projects.
Between 2011 and 2013, the district installed approximately 1,100 meters across three neighborhoods to test the impact of metering on water use. By 2022, the WBWCD had successfully metered approximately 14,000 locations. According to Jon Parry, the district's Assistant General Manager for Strategic Initiatives, these efforts resulted in documented reductions in water use of approximately 20% to 30% compared to unmetered areas and compared to usage levels recorded when the meters were first installed.
Data-Driven Conservation
A critical component of the conservation success in the Weber Basin is the integration of education and real-time data. The district provides users with secondary water use reports and near real-time access to usage data through a Customer Portal. These reports were developed in conjunction with the WaterMAPS program at Utah State University's Center for Water Efficient Landscaping.
By using a landscape water budgeting approach, these reports show individual property owners how much water they are applying to their landscapes compared to the actual needs of those landscapes. This individualized data serves as an educational motivator for conservation. To help users track efficiency, the WBWCD provides these reports monthly during the period from May to October.
Environmental and Infrastructure Benefits
Darren Hess, the WBWCD's Assistant General Manager for Operations, stated that metering alone is insufficient without consumer education. Hess noted that every gallon saved through these programs can be stored in existing reservoirs for the next season, which provides a buffer against future water supply uncertainty. He described the initiative as the district's largest water supply project.
Beyond individual savings, the ability to meter secondary water allows the district to monitor for leaks, manage seasonal allocations, and provide flexibility when implementing watering restrictions. Furthermore, the data allows the district to identify opportunities to financially incentivize customers to use less than their full allocations. These savings have also enabled the district to delay expensive new water supply infrastructure projects and provide necessary environmental flows to the Great Salt Lake.
Municipal Implementation Examples
Other Utah municipalities have reported similar water savings through secondary metering prior to the recent legislative and grant developments. Saratoga Springs, Spanish Fork, and Santaquin have each seen water savings ranging from 25% to 50%.
In Saratoga Springs, the implementation of metering was driven by the need to address landscape overwatering that caused flooded basements and property damage, while also seeking fiscal responsibility by avoiding the costs of more expensive water supply infrastructure. These cities shared their implementation advice with other communities during a spring 2022 training session held by the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
Future Planning and Grants
The Utah Board of Water Resources has already begun distributing significant financial support for these projects. On August 4, 2022, the Board approved $190 million in grants to approximately 70 water conservancy districts, irrigation companies, and municipalities. These grants cover up to 70% of the costs associated with secondary metering projects.
In addition to residential benefits, metering is helping to shape new developments. In West Haven City, the WBWCD is incentivizing developers to adopt low-water landscapes by reducing the amount of water they must turn over to be served through secondary systems. This approach aims to reduce contracted allocation volumes and lower annual assessments for users.
The Path Toward 2030
As the 2030 deadline for mandatory metering approaches, the combination of technological availability, legislative support, and proven conservation results continues to drive the transition across Utah. The ability to distinguish between indoor culinary use and outdoor irrigation use through dual-system metering allows for more refined water conservation programs and more accurate assessment of water needs across the state.
