In Washington County, UT, water efficiency standards and ordinances are bridging the distance between land use planning and efficient water use to help ensure adequate water supplies for the future. Non-functional turfgrass has been banned for new commercial, institutional, and industrial developments and there are limitations on the amount
of grass allowed in newly constructed home landscapes. As Doug Bennett and Karry Rathje of the Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD) put it, “Water is the fuel of our economy and water issues are the single greatest threat to our region’s economy.”

The process for developing water efficiency standards and conservation ordinances and inspiring community buy-in began in 2021. At that time, WCWCD organized a meeting of the District’s member agencies and invited representatives of the state’s Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources, and Division of Water Rights to attend. The meeting was professionally moderated by an independent, third-party and audience members were asked to indicate agreement, disagreement, or uncertainty toward a series of proposed water conservation and efficiency measures that could inform standards and ordinance development.

The stakes were――and are――high. The primary water source in the region, the Virgin River basin, is fully allocated and growth continues at an incredibly fast pace. As a result, regional cooperation, as described in WCWCD’s 20 Year Plan, is essential for supplying sufficient water resources to the region’s expanding economy and growing population. Most necessary water efficiency standards and codes were already in place, according to Bennett and Rathje, and the District evaluated existing ordinances to determine what needed to be added. The process was challenging, but consistent and unified standards across the region would optimize use and management of the shared water resource.

Following the 2021 meeting, representatives from each participating municipality met with the county commissioner to consider their water efficiency standards and ordinances. The county attorney then drafted new ordinances for each community, which were then introduced to city councils for consideration and adoption. The District then identified consistent themes among the ordinances and recommended additions. For example, the state requires certain ordinances be adopted by communities for participation in landscape transformation rebate programs. Other common elements include:

• hot water recirculation systems;
• WaterSense labeled fixtures;
• Energy Star appliances;
• submetering of multi-unit facilities;
• restrictions on water features including misting systems;
• water budgets for golf courses; and,
• limits on the amount of water used by car wash facilities.