OPINION — The St. George metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing regions in the country. Explosive population growth combined with the impacts of climate change, extended mega-drought and dwindling water supplies mandate that we fully optimize our water management practices, especially here in the dry desert country of Washington County.

The Washington County Water Conservancy District is making laudable progress in managing water supplies while improving conservation efforts, and it has plans to do more. Measures such as recycling wastewater for secondary (irrigation) use, the turf buy-back program, Advanced Metering Infrastructure which allows monitoring and early leak detection, adoption of Water Efficiency Standards for municipal, residential and industrial use and many other initiatives are essential for improving water efficiency.

In 2023, the district hired Doug Bennett, an expert in water conservation. Previously, Bennett initiated many of the remarkable conservation achievements in Las Vegas.

Despite these significant achievements and future plans, it’s apparent more is needed to address our water issues with greater effectiveness. I suggest water managers move forward with the following:

Decouple population growth and water consumption

Although counterintuitive, decoupling occurs when, despite an increase in population, total water consumption decreases. Decoupling is a primary goal for effective water management.

Several western cities including San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas have successfully decoupled by employing rigorous conservation measures and wastewater recycling.

For example, although the population of the Las Vegas region increased 745,000 between 2002 and 2022, the total volume of water supplied decreased by 26%.

Unfortunately, the municipal, residential and industrial water conservation goals established by the Utah Division of Water Resources in 2015, which show a meager 22% reduction in water use for Washington County by 2065, are woefully insufficient to allow decoupling.

If water managers are genuinely committed to optimizing water resources, the state division and the water district must revise their goals dramatically and implement decoupling.

Increase water rates

While the aforementioned conservation initiatives are essential, increasing water rates is the single most effective means to promote conservation. Instead, Washington County has some of the lowest water rates in the west. Consequently, there is little incentive to conserve.

A study by KSL.com last December compared water rates in several cities in Utah with rates in cities in neighboring states. KSL calculated water charges for usage of 5,000, 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 gallons per month and found St. George to have by far the lowest rates.

For example, water charges for using 20,000 gallons per month in St. George are $56.50, more than $107.00 in Denver and Phoenix, $152.77 in Las Vegas and $178.88 in Boise. Recently, the water district imposed hefty surcharges for high use ($176.50 for 20,000 gallons in St. George). Unfortunately, they apply only to new construction.

To decouple water consumption form population increases, water rates in Washington County must increase significantly. For low income residents with low consumption, rates can be tiered so water is affordable, while high consumption users are penalized for their excesses.

Reduce property taxes

Because the water district is a public entity, water managers claim they’re prohibited from operating at a “profit” which keeps water rates low. Yet, as noted above, other districts subject to the same stipulation have much higher rates, in part, because their water rates are not subsidized by property taxes to the extent they are in Washington County.

A recent survey of 331 districts outside Utah by Utah Rivers Council found that while most districts are entitled to assess taxes, only 49% collect property taxes. Taxes for these districts provide an average of 9% of revenues compared to 19% for the Washington County Water Conservancy District. Further, water sales in other districts provide, on average, 53% of their revenues compared to 25% for the Washington County Water Conservancy District. These factors contribute to the exceptionally low water rates in Washington County.

Clearly, reducing property tax subsidies and raising water rates significantly are feasible and mandatory actions required to effectively address our water challenges. What’s lacking is political will at both the local and state levels.

Avoid unnecessary infrastructure

Because water rates are low, demand is artificially high. With more water being consumed than necessary, more costly and unnecessary infrastructure is required to acquire, treat and distribute water (such as the proposed cost prohibitive Lake Powell Pipeline). When unnecessary infrastructure improvements are financed with bonds, property owners pay unneeded higher taxes.

To manage our water more efficiently, this cycle must end.

Conserve agricultural water

Agriculture abounds with wasteful practices, such as wheel-line sprinklers that spew massive amounts of water during the high evaporation summer heat of daytime. Because approximately 60% of water supplied in Washington County is used by agriculture, efforts to optimize its use must be expanded considerably.

Surprisingly, the water district does not control water used by agriculture which is regulated by the Utah Division of Water Resources. Although the division formed a task force in 2018 to optimize agricultural water use, little has been accomplished. Because most agricultural water is not metered, waste prevails. Regrettably, the good progress being made by the district for municipal, residential and industrial use is offset by the wasteful practices in agriculture.

To curtail our dwindling water supplies, the Division of Water Resources must require agriculture to do its part and take advantage of USDA federal subsidies to assist farmers in modernizing their infrastructure to make irrigating more efficient.

Recycle wastewater

The water supply shortages we’re facing in Washington County have been evident in numerous communities nationwide beginning in the 1970s. In response, many communities implemented wastewater recycling for both secondary and potable use. Currently, many more communities are developing wastewater recycling capacity, supported by state and federal grants.

While many of us, including myself, dislike the rapid growth in the St. George area, like it or not, we must plan for increasing population and the impacts of climate change and extended drought.

Whether growth in Washington County continues as projected or slows somewhat, we must recycle wastewater, now for secondary use and eventually for potable use. This undeniable reality is documented in the book “Purified” by Peter Annin. Annin describes the decadeslong history, proven technologies and current status of wastewater recycling in the U.S.

Because bringing wastewater facilities online for potable use is a multi-year endeavor, the water district should begin planning now. In addition to its current 20-year plan, the district should be looking ahead 40 or 50 years.

Conclusion

To decouple water consumption from increasing population and fully optimize their response to our water challenges, water managers should adopt the recommendations proposed herein. Our water future depends on it.

Submitted by ANDREW KRAMER, a retired architect who managed large projects with firms in Boston and Denver, who has lived in Ivins since 2003.

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