2003 Water Use Comparison and Summary

Now that summer is over and water use through the summer has been quantified, the citizens of Utah should be congratulated for a fourth year of increased water savings. The message of water conservation is obviously being heard and the outlook for the future water supply looks better with each year of decreased water use.

The population of Utah is expected to almost double by the year 2050. Along with this extraordinary growth comes an increased demand on the municipal and industrial (M&I) water supply, making water conservation a necessity. The Division of Water Resources has made the water conservation effort a top priority. A goal has been set by the Division to reduce per capita M&I water demand by at least 25 percent by the year 2050. This would mean a decrease from 321 gallons per capita per day (gpcd), the 1995 baseline water use, to 241 gpcd. This is a reasonable goal considering the average for Rocky Mountain States is 245 gpcd.

In an attempt to monitor the effectiveness of the Governor's Water Conservation Team campaign and local water conservation campaigns, the Division has been collecting water use data from 16 water agencies throughout the state. Participation in the study is voluntary and the accuracy of the results depends on the quality of the data received from the agencies.

From water use data collected from the participating agencies for the years 2000 to 2003, a water conservation trend is evident. Figure 1 shows the cumulative water use throughout the year for the past 4 years. Each successive year has shown a decrease in water use due to the incredible public response to requests to reduce water use.

The year-end totals show a 3 percent decrease in statewide water use from 2000 to 2001 and a 9 percent decrease from 2001 to 2002. That's a total of a 12 percent decrease in water use in just two years! This year, water use continues to decrease. Although we haven't yet finished 2003, as of October 1st, statewide conservation is at 4 percent. The 4 percent conserved this year is a respectable decrease considering the extremely hot and dry summer and fall seasons.

The overall numbers are quite impressive. From 1995 to 2000 the state had decreased water use by 9 percent. Add this to the data collected from the 16 water agencies during the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 and the total rises to 21 percent. If the 2003 total remains at a 4 percent decrease, the state will have achieved a 25 percent decrease in water use in only eight years. This 25 percent decrease can be attributed to both the public's conservation efforts and the response to the ongoing drought. The final numbers will be slightly different considering the fact that the entire state has not participated in this study, however the Division of Water Resources can get a good idea of how the state is doing. A continued effort made to conserve water by the citizens of Utah, even during the wettest of years, will allow Utah to thrive as a growing community and continue to enjoy its precious water resources.