Provo approves urban‑farming culinary‑water credit; residents press city on lost irrigation ditches

Provo’s council voted 7–0 Aug. 5 to amend the consolidated fee schedule and delegate authority to the water resources director to adopt a policy providing a culinary‑water credit for qualifying urban farms and community gardens.

Water resources engineer Barry Prettyman explained the planned policy and eligibility criteria: gardens must grow marketable plants (including fruits, vegetables and herbs), occupy at least 25% of a parcel or 5,000 square feet, be actively used for at least four continuous months of the irrigation season (April through October) and reach Tier 3 culinary‑water usage during the irrigation season. The policy is limited to residential accounts, will not apply in agricultural zones, and credits will not transfer between parcels or owners. Prettyman said the credit would be $120 applied in December of the application year and that the $120 approximates 59,000–62,000 gallons for common meter sizes used in the city.

Prettyman said the water resources director would administer the program; Gary Calder was identified in the presentation as the staff member who will review applications and perform field inspections. Staff said the new rate schedule takes effect Sept. 1 and that applications would be accepted for the following calendar year (forms expected to be posted online before year end).

Public comment at the same agenda item focused on long‑standing irrigation delivery problems. Gordon Haight, Provo’s public works director, told the council that around 10 West‑Side parcels have received city‑provided irrigation water for decades after a private canal company folded and irrigation water rights lapsed. Haight said the city has been delivering water through the storm‑drain system in some cases, causing backups and flood damage; building a separate delivery system would cost “a couple million dollars,” and the city is not recommending that option. As a result, the city sent letters to affected property owners notifying them that the city will not provide irrigation water next irrigation season.

Several speakers told the council the loss of ditch water has left privately irrigated acres dry and weed‑filled. Byron Miller said he has used water from the Scott Ditch for 50 years and that the city’s planned cancellation would leave an acre and a half of his property dry. Mike Nelson and other commenters said culinary‑water tiers and rates make maintaining large yards or orchards difficult; commenters asked whether the city planned separate programs for hay, pasture or larger agricultural uses — staff said the policy targets urban gardening and landscape uses, not commercial or larger agricultural irrigation.

Staff and council emphasized the ordinance before the council delegates rule‑making authority to the water resources director; the detailed policy would be implemented by staff and applied beginning next year. The ordinance passed 7–0.