At the recommendation of Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, Mayor Erin Mendenhall has announced that our entire Public Utilities service area is under a Stage 2, or mild, Water Shortage Advisory for drought response. At this time in Stage 2, Salt Lake City is calling for a reduction of 10 million gallons of water per day. Residents and businesses can achieve this goal through voluntary reductions in indoor and outdoor water use. City facilities and government institutions are required to stay within their irrigation-only meter budgets and reduce indoor water use by 10%.
The Salt Lake City Drought and Water Shortage Contingency Plan outlines stages, triggers, and actions to reduce water use during shortages. It also identifies vulnerabilities and long-term mitigation strategies. Unlike our Water Conservation Plan, it focuses on rapid, short-term responses to drought conditions.
Drought and Water Shortage Contingency Plan
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Background Information
The Wasatch Front has experienced several drought periods over the past 100 years with typical drought periods extending between 3-5 years. In more recent decades, the frequency and intensity of drought has increased with 2020-2023 being Exceptional Drought years (highest category of drought conditions) for the area according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU) recognizes that it has become increasingly important to protect current water sources, plan for future water supply during periods of drought and other water shortage, and improve water reliability. This plan is an update of the 2003 Water shortage Contingency Plan.
What is a water shortage contingency plan?
A water shortage contingency plan results from gathering and analyzing climate, water supply, and demand data to better understand the potential impact of drought or other water shortage on our water supply. The plan: evaluates water supply data and identifies processes for to detect early warning signs of drought; establishes stages and triggers to identify when projected supplies reach levels where response actions are needed; identifies response actions by stage to effect quick water use reductions; and, identifies potential vulnerabilities and mitigation measures to minimize potential impacts of water shortages in the future.
Why does a water shortage contingency plan matter?
Water shortage or drought may result from a variety of circumstances such as climate change, regular climate variability, water supply contamination, system disruption or interruption, and even unanticipated surges in demand. This Drought and Water Shortage Contingency Plan (DCP) is intended as a guide for monitoring, measuring, mitigating, and responding to water supply shortages or disruptions as a result of any of these or other scenarios. For the purposes of this plan, all circumstances resulting in water shortages may be referred to as “drought”.
Resources and Tips
Here are resources and tips on how to keep your landscape beautiful during a drought. Also, check out the 2022 video below for more suggestions on how to save water on your landscape.
Stay up to date on local and regional drought information.