Council holds public hearing on joint regional water conservation plan; staff recommend regional adoption

Washington City Council on Sept. 24 held a public hearing and considered a jointly developed regional water conservation plan prepared under the regional water supply agreement and Utah statute.

Assistant Public Works Director Lester Dalton told the council the plan is “unique in the state of Utah” because participating communities will adopt identical conservation measures and goals, which he said reduces duplicated effort and strengthens the region’s conservation stance. Dalton said the plan meets state-mandated five-year requirements and “doesn’t preclude us from adjusting it as needed.”

Dalton said the plan had been discussed extensively in technical advisory committees (TAC) and that the district board had already conducted a public hearing and adopted the document. He asked the council to approve the plan so Washington City would be current with the Utah Division of Water Resources’ submittal requirements.

Council members asked about opportunities for earlier council-level review before the next five-year cycle and whether the city would retain the ability to raise concerns during TAC and board meetings. Councilman Coates asked whether the city could hold a workshop before the next adoption cycle to review proposed changes; Dalton and the mayor said they would place it on a workshop agenda if the council requested more input in future cycles.

Why it matters: The plan satisfies state-mandated requirements for conservation planning and, if adopted, could strengthen Washington County’s position when seeking state funding. Staff said the joint approach may carry more influence with the Division of Water Resources because it demonstrates countywide collaboration.

Transcript evidence shows the council opened and closed a public hearing and discussed the plan’s merits and process; the meeting record provided does not include a motion or recorded vote on the plan in the excerpt supplied.