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State outlines landscape incentives, smart-controller rebates and planning rules to conserve water
Summary
The Division of Water Resources summarized ongoing conservation programs: a landscape conversion rebate (up to $3 per sq. ft.), smart irrigation-controller rebates, toilet-replacement rebates, and requirements for water-use elements in municipal general plans under 2022–2023 legislation.
Shelby Cooley, water conservation section manager at the Utah Division of Water Resources, briefed the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council on state conservation programs, incentives and planning requirements intended to reduce demand and support lake inflows.
Cooley described the Landscape Incentives Program, which provides rebates up to $3 per square foot to replace high-water turf with lower-water landscaping. The program operates through partnerships with several water conservancy districts and is available to residents in qualifying municipalities; 72 municipalities have adopted qualifying landscape ordinances and roughly 105 cities qualify for funds, Cooley said.
She reported 2023 program results: more than 3,000,000 square feet of grass was replaced statewide, an estimated annual savings of 87,000,000 gallons of water. Cooley said 2024 replacement totals were still being finalized but appeared on track to match 2023.
Cooley also described device-rebate programs: toilet-replacement rebates (up to $150 per toilet, two per home, for homes built before 1994) and smart-irrigation controller rebates (up to $100 per controller). The division reported more than 32,000 WaterSense-labeled smart controllers installed through the program since 2018 and over 45,100 toilets replaced through the toilet-rebate program since 2019.
Cooley reviewed two recent legislative requirements that affect planning: municipalities and some counties must add a water-use and preservation element to their general plans by Dec. 31 of this year (a 2022–2023 legislative change) and that these planning additions should inform decisions that affect Great Salt Lake water use. She invited council members to coordinate on toolbox recommendations and growing-water-smart workshops that have engaged more than 50 communities and 250 participants to date.
Council members praised the Division of Water Resources’ programs and asked the division and partners to continue coordination with the advisory council.
