Water Use + Conservation
This chapter fulfills the state's general plan requirement for water use and preservation, setting the city's approach to reducing demand, strengthening infrastructure, and ensuring responsible stewardship in existing and future development.
SUMMARY OF THE CURRENT PLAN: Water Use + Conservation
- Sources. Fruit Heights gets drinking water from a City-owned well and wholesale water from Weber Basin Water Conservancy District. In December 2019, wells supplied 42.72 acre-feet and wholesale water 745 acre-feet.
- Customers. The City served about 6,200 residents through 1,780 connections; 1,767 of those are residential.
- Outdoor water. Lawns and landscapes are irrigated with secondary water from Haights Creek Irrigation, Benchland Irrigation, and a small City-run district. The City requires secondary water for outdoor use.
- Per-person use. Culinary water use was 53.43 gallons per person per day in 2019, well below the plan’s goal of 72. Use has generally declined since 2005.
- Water loss. Losses in the distribution system averaged about 5% from 2005 to 2019, but rose to about 11.5% from 2014 to 2019. The plan attributes part of the increase to better metering.
- Supply vs. future need. The City has a reliable supply of 745 acre-feet per year. The 2020 Conservation Plan projects a build-out need of 545–793 acre-feet. The upper end exceeds current supply, which the plan’s text doesn’t acknowledge.
- Higher growth scenario. The general plan’s population projections (7,883–9,000 by 2050) could require up to about 1,000 acre-feet. That may mean buying more water from Weber Basin.
- Little room to grow. The City is more than 80% developed, so future savings depend largely on landscaping and land use choices.
- Current conservation efforts:
- All connections are metered, and new leak-detecting meters are being installed.
- Public education and a smart sprinkler pilot program.
- Tiered water rates, adopted in 2019.
- City code. Water-efficient landscaping is not specifically addressed in City code, and ordinances have not changed significantly since 2020.
- Regional targets. Fruit Heights is in the state’s Weber River Region, which aims to cut per-person water use 20% by 2030, 26% by 2040, and 30% by 2065.
CURRENT PLAN GOAL SUMMARY: WATER USE + CONSERVATION
1. Strive to maintain per capita water use of 72 gallons per day
- Measure and analyze water savings every five years using data submitted to the Utah Division of Water Rights.
2. Maintain a financially viable water system
- Revise landscape ordinances to reflect local and regional conservation efforts.
- Consider requiring single-family and similar uses to meet measurable conservation targets.
- Keep the ten-year conservation goal: reduce outdoor use 20% and indoor use 5% through 2032.
- Expand education through brochures, online resources, and social media.
3. Upgrade and replace water infrastructure on a scheduled basis
- Continue Capital Facilities Plan projects that reduce water loss.
- Complete a system audit by 2025 to find where better metering is needed.
- Continue leak detection and inspect older lines, making repairs as funds permit.
4. Establish a clear vision for water resources, rights, and systems
- Ensure culinary water access is available for anticipated growth.
- Educate the public on how much water landscapes need.
- Coordinate regularly with water providers.
5. Adopt water use targets that reduce unnecessary consumption
- Adopt land use policies that complement local and regional conservation efforts.
- Revise landscape ordinances to reflect conservation goals and targets.
- Adopt and meet the ten-year conservation goal through 2033.
- Coordinate with water providers and expand public education.
6. Support the Fruit Heights Water Conservation Plan
- Review and update the Water Conservation Plan regularly.
- Provide incentives for appliance and landscape retrofits, secondary meters, and smart timers as funding permits.
- Establish a Water Conservation Committee and meter water use at City parks and facilities.
- Use fines and watering-day limits for excessive use as needed.
7. Support collaborative regional water use and preservation practices
- Implement the practices in the state's Regional M&I Water Conservation Goals Report.
- Support ongoing review of water rates to encourage conservation.
- Continue programs for high-efficiency fixtures and indoor leak repair.
- Update landscape codes and revise codes to support smaller, water-conserving lot sizes.