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State's transparent water-billing program uses smart metering and targeted messaging to reduce irrigation and detect leaks
Summary
The Division of Water Resources update outlined a 50/50 cost-share transparent billing program that helps cities use smart metering, leak alerts and targeted messaging to reduce outdoor irrigation, improve conservation, and identify leaks; the current application window closes tomorrow and will reopen.
Josh Zimmerman, who works in the division’s planning and conservation group, told the board the Transparent Water Billing program combines metering, analytics and consumer messaging to reduce residential irrigation and find leaks.
Zimmerman said the division has mapped turf area—about 165,000 acres statewide and 135,000 acres in the Great Salt Lake Basin—and uses partners (e.g., AquaTracks, Yapify) to provide dashboards and automated messaging to high‑use customers. He described program results from partner Washington County, where targeted messaging reduced the number of customers irrigating three times per week by roughly 50% after outreach.
“Customers value getting leak alerts,” Zimmerman said, noting that end users respond to notifications and often fix leaks quickly; staff also highlighted that large leaks can equal the water use of thousands of houses.
The program is offered on a 50/50 cost‑share basis; staff require participating utilities to present bills in gallons (not in billing blocks) and to report outcomes as part of contracted performance measures. Zimmerman explained that onboarding and integration costs are proportionally higher for smaller systems because integration and programming costs do not scale with connection counts.
Board members asked about outreach and how small jurisdictions will be recruited; staff said another application window will open and that the division has discretion to approve additional applicants. Staff said for smaller systems the program helps with the expensive first years of onboarding and that many systems continue the service after initial funding ends because they find long‑term value.
The current application window, Zimmerman said, closes tomorrow; staff expect to open future windows and encouraged interested systems to contact the division for technical support.
