The Millard County Commission voted to adopt an ordinance amending the county resource management plan to include a new section on water use and preservation, after a public hearing in which county planner Adam Richens outlined the state’s new requirements and the county’s proposed response. Richens said the statute requires counties to identify public water systems, estimate capacities and describe conservation measures, and that the county used a state grant to help prepare the plan.

The ordinance — presented as Ordinance 25‑12‑16 — adds the water‑use chapter to the county general plan and will be used as a reference in future land‑use and subdivision reviews, Richens said. He told the commission the county’s per‑capita water consumption is roughly 25% below a target figure provided by state guidance and that the plan does not require radical local changes but will be a formal factor in finding whether proposed development is consistent with available water supplies.

Commissioners asked whether the new section gives the county additional authority to require proof of water rights at zoning or subdivision stages; Richens and staff replied that the requirement strengthens findings at the planning stage and will align with upcoming subdivision ordinance updates. The planner also said the state narrowly framed the requirement to public water systems, not to all agricultural or industrial water uses, and that the county coordinated with the Division of Water Rights and the Division of Drinking Water while preparing the document.

The ordinance was carried by voice vote after the public hearing closed. The item completes a condition tied to a state grant to cover the county’s costs; staff said the county will file for the remaining grant reimbursement after adoption. The commission did not change substantive water‑use limits during the hearing; the adopted language will now be applied in future development reviews and subdivision decisions.