Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Conservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Washington County proposes voluntary ‘Ultra Water Efficient’ subdivisions tied to reduced impact fees
Summary
The Washington County Water Conservancy District presented draft voluntary standards for new single‑family subdivisions that aim to cut household water supply about one‑third; developers would adopt the standards in exchange for reduced water impact fees, with HOA enforcement and performance verification.
The Washington County Water Conservancy District presented a voluntary “Ultra Water Efficient” community standard to Washington City Council on March 12, proposing a developer‑opt‑in program that would reduce residential source‑supply demand by roughly one‑third and offer reduced water impact fees as an incentive. Doug Bennett, the district’s conservation manager, described the draft as a voluntary program that builders would choose to implement in exchange for lower impact fees.
Under the draft, qualifying homes would target about 0.39 acre‑feet of supply (roughly 96,000 gallons/year of expected use after distribution losses) versus the county’s current 0.59‑acre‑foot standard. Bennett said the program would require compact, drip‑irrigated landscaping and discourage salt‑based water softeners because softeners can add salt loads to recycled wastewater.
The program envisions neighborhood‑scale implementation — the district prefers subdivision‑ or HOA‑level adoption so the homeowners association can include program requirements in CCRs and help enforce performance. Bennett also described design expectations for common‑area active recreation (pocket parks) rather than private lawns, and recommended encouraging shared community pools rather than private backyard pools because pools can add 20,000–25,000 gallons/year per typical residential pool.
Bennett said the district’s model estimates the ultra‑efficient homes would have annual water bills under $400, compared with roughly $700 for a 2020‑era house in the same area, improving household affordability. The district and consultants are coordinating the efficiency standard with an ongoing water impact‑fee update; Bowen Collins is developing the fee analysis in parallel.
Ending: The water district said the proposal is in draft form, will be discussed further with the Southern Utah Home Builders Association and developers, and could be used voluntarily by builders or as a policy tool in more constrained water supply situations.
