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House approves metering steps for secondary water but stops short of a retrofit mandate
Summary
Fifth substitute S.B. 52 passed the House 52–20 after extended debate. The measure requires meters on new secondary hookups after July 1, 2020, asks providers to file plans for existing unmetered hookups, and makes state revolving loans available to help pay costs; supporters cited conservation benefits, opponents warned of costs to small water providers.
The Utah House adopted the fifth substitute to Senate Bill 52 on March 13 by a 52–20 vote. The substitute requires new secondary water hookups to be metered beginning July 1, 2020, asks existing secondary water providers to submit plans describing numbers of unmetered hookups, costs and financing approaches, and clarifies that state revolving loan funds are available to support metering.
Sponsor Representative Hawkes framed the bill as a modest, data-driven step to manage a scarce resource and avoid building expensive supply projects in the future. He said metering recent pilot projects led to savings ranging from 30 percent to more than 50 percent and urged members to require planning and to allow access to loan funds rather than impose an immediate retrofit mandate.
Opponents said meter installation costs — estimated on the floor at about $400–$500 per connection in some comments — could burden small water companies and households, particularly in fourth- through sixth-class counties. Representatives from rural districts urged caution and noted agricultural water and traditional turn systems are excluded.
The substitute specifically applies to pressurized secondary systems used for commercial, institutional and residential outdoor water use, not agricultural turn systems. The bill requires reporting and planning for existing systems rather than forcing immediate retrofits, and it preserves loan eligibility for systems that choose to meter.
Next steps: The House passed the substitute and will return S.B. 52 to the Senate for further consideration.
