UTAH DROUGHT

Salt Lake saved almost 3 billion gallons of water this season

Sep 21, 2022, 11:45 AM

Sprinkler is shown watering lawn...

A sprinkler runs in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 7, 2022. (Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)

(Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Public Utilities is celebrating that they lowered their water consumption by around 15% since April 1.

Salt Lake City Public Utilities is one of the biggest water providers in the state. It provides water to Salt Lake, Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights and other surrounding areas.

The utility company said the next goal is to shave down 5% more from the previous three-year average.

City officials say conservation is critical right now since most of our reservoir levels have been dropping quickly during the drought.

The Division of Water Rights listed Utah’s entire reservoir system at 43% capacity amid the ongoing drought.

Laura Briefer, the utility company’s director, called this year’s decreased water use a step in the right direction. 

Related: A pipeline from Lake Powell to Washington County is taking shape

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Salt Lake saved almost 3 billion gallons of water this season