The entire state of Utah is in drought, and on May 21, Gov. Spencer Cox declared a statewide drought emergency.
So far, Heber City has not imposed formal drought restrictions, instead asking locals to voluntarily conserve water. That could change after Tuesday’s city council meeting.
In a discussion June 2, city engineer Russ Funk told councilmembers his team recommends reducing outdoor water usage by at least 15% to make supplies last.
“If we don’t reduce, the season will be cut short,” he said. “The goal is to make it to Sept. 15. I mean, that’s what the cuts are going to be targeted to achieve.”
To meet that goal, Funk will ask the city to implement Phase3 of its four-tier water shortage plan.
That phase, meant for moderate to severe water shortages, would include mandatory limits on watering lawns and washing hard surfaces. It would also ask residents to take other voluntary steps to save water, like reducing car washes and turning off recreational fountains and sprinklers.
Outdoor watering would be restricted to three days per week and not allowed during the hottest part of the day. Swimming pools would need to be covered when not in use and not filled to the top to reduce water loss.
People would be asked to wash their cars on lawns or other surfaces that could absorb the water, and they could only use commercial car washes once a month.
Councilmember Aaron Cheat wood said he’d rather play it safe and loosen the restrictions later in the year if conditions permit.
“I’d rather go to [Phase] 3 now and pull it back if we could,” he said.
Funk said city staff will be doing widespread education and outreach to help residents adapt.
He also said Heber is taking a less punitive approach than some Utah cities.
“My family’s from Hyrum,” he said. “They told me that the mayor of Hyrum implemented – on your first offense it was, I think, a $100 fee, and on your second, your water gets turned off.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Mayor Heidi Franco said.
“It is a real concern this year,” Funk said.
“That’s something that I’m not sure everybody is understanding as thoroughly as they should…. If everybody’s outdoor irrigation is turned off in mid-July or Aug. 1, it’s not going to be very easy [on] everybody. So, we want to conserve; we want to make the season last.”
The Heber City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
