Council approves partnership to extend Yapify water-conservation alerts with Central Utah Water

The Highland City Council on May 19 approved a memorandum of agreement with the Central Utah Water Conservancy District to participate in a three-year pilot that pairs the city's Yapify messaging platform with Central Utah's conservation templates and outreach. The vote was unanimous (5–0).

Staff described the pilot as cost-sharing: Central Utah will subsidize part of Yapify's fee for the first three years while Highland contributes an increasing share; staff told the council the city maintains control over what messages it sends and that any data shared with Central Utah will be anonymized. Aaron, who presented the item, said the city's tentative FY27 budget includes about $7,452 for the first year of the agreement.

Why it matters: Yapify provides two-way texting, automated leak and high-usage alerts and other conservation messaging that can be used to reach customers quickly. Staff said Yapify had been provided free to the city under an earlier grant tied to a meter rollout and is now a recurring cost. The partnership aims to expand conservation outreach while limiting the city's upfront expense.

What was said: "The city would still maintain control over our messaging when we send out the message," Aaron said during the presentation, and staff emphasized privacy protections and anonymization when sharing usage with Central Utah.

Next steps: Council authorized the city administrator to execute the agreement; staff will implement the pilot, integrate meter data, and report back on outreach outcomes and costs as the pilot progresses.