A brush fire erupts in the foothills in the peak of summer. Firefighters rushed in, but when they attached their hoses to neighborhood hydrants, the pressure dropped to a trickle. Tanker trucks were called in, but precious time was lost. Officials later conceded that water supplies, already strained from years of overuse, had left the system vulnerable. It’s a scenario county planners warn could become reality if water conservation planning fails to keep pace with growth.

Salt Lake County is in the process of updating its Water Use and Preservation Element—commonly known as the Water Conservation Element—for its unincorporated general plans. The work stems from new state requirements. “The county is updating its General Plans … to comply with state law,” the draft explains, “which require stronger coordination between land use planning and water conservation.”

The plan is intended as a roadmap, not an enforcement tool. As the county describes it, “The Water Use & Preservation Element is a planning/policy document rather than an immediate regulatory mandate. It suggests strategies, guidelines, and possible ordinance or incentive changes.”

Among those strategies are changes to the way residents use water outdoors. The document emphasizes “promoting low-water landscaping, ‘xeriscaping,’ and use of drought-tolerant (waterwise) plantings.” It further recommends “smart irrigation practices, efficient systems, [and] minimizing turf coverage in appropriate locations.”

County officials are clear on what the plan does not do. “It does not itself require existing property owners to remove lawns or retrofit systems immediately,” the element notes. “It does not set water rates. That remains under the purview of water districts or utilities.”

The county points to its own operations as an example. According to the Division of Environmental Sustainability, adjustments to watering schedules and reductions in irrigation days “exceeded the county goal of 5% usage reduction by achieving 13% reduction during May–Oct 2021.” A pilot “Flip the Strip” program, funded with federal recovery dollars, is projected to save “~4 million gallons/year” by converting turf along county-owned park strips into water-wise landscaping.

The planning document also addresses land development. “How different development patterns (density, lot sizes, impervious surfaces) affect water demand and infrastructure” is a central theme. Denser development, it argues, can help reduce demand for outdoor irrigation while also limiting the strain on aging water systems.

The draft anticipates future changes to local rules. “The plan may recommend changes to zoning, development standards, landscape ordinances, and building codes to support conservation.” It suggests that while existing neighborhoods would be encouraged to conserve voluntarily—possibly with rebates or incentive programs—new construction could be held to stricter water-efficiency standards from the outset.

Another goal is to coordinate with water providers and agriculture. The Element states that it seeks to “integrate with regional conservation goals, systems, water districts, and agricultural practices.” In practice, that means aligning the county’s land use policies with the conservation targets set by the utilities that deliver water to homes, farms, and businesses.

Some residents have expressed concern that the plan could eventually force the removal of existing lawns. The county addresses that concern directly: “It does not itself require existing property owners to remove lawns.” Instead, the approach is to begin with new growth and voluntary retrofits.

The stakes, officials argue, are clear. Without tying conservation to land use, the county could face infrastructure failure in times of crisis, when water is needed most—whether to fight a brush fire or to sustain neighborhoods during drought.

For now, the Water Conservation Element remains in draft form. It is scheduled for public review and eventual adoption as part of the county’s general plan updates. As the draft concludes, “The plan is to include an implementation schedule, monitoring mechanisms, and evaluation of success.”

To learn more about the Water Conservation Element visit online: slco.to/WaterSurvey.

This planning effort will focus on three areas across the county: the Wasatch Canyons (blue), Oquirrh and western foothills (yellow) and Sandy Hills (red) (Photo courtesy of Salt Lake County)