Letter: Utahns use too much water; soon it ..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

After Nevada, Utah is the second driest state, but incredibly, Utah is the second highest water consumer per capita in the country (next to Nevada).

If we have a big drought, it'll be much worse than California is currently experiencing. Having grown up with the Mormon ethic of preparedness, I believe it's time Utahns prepare for a big drought.

Instead of talking about pumping more non-existent water from the shrinking Colorado River, we should be making lifestyle and policy choices that add up:

• Add a 10 percent conservation fee on all water rates to give an incentive to conserve and to create a fund for homeowners, farmers and businesses to draw upon to retrofit their establishments with water-saving approaches, from purchasing water-efficient toilets and clothes and dishwashers to drip watering systems for agriculture.

• Reduce the need to water landscape. Most people water way more than needed. Xeriscape.

Home landscape watering consumes more than half of Utah's municipal water supply and two-thirds of a typical residence's.

• Require high-volume public toilets to install waterless urinals.

• Landscape highways with only drought-resistant plants.

Victor Boyd

Salt Lake City

Letter: Utahns use too much water; soon it will be gone