Utah City Reduces H2O Use 63%

The state's goal is to reduce per-capita consumption by 25 percent by 2050. To this end, Utah water agencies have implemented a range of rebates for water-efficient devices as well as ordinances that ban wasteful watering practices.

Salem City, Utah saved nearly one million gallons of water in just 180 days. To achieve these savings, Salem City replaced inefficient irrigation timers with WeatherTRAK Internet-enabled, central-control irrigation systems at City Hall, the town cemetery and three parks.

Salem subsequently implemented smart controllers at landscaped sites throughout the City.  Salem City's Smart Water Management program was funded in part by a grant from the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. Utah's water consumption is second only to that of Nevada at 293 gallons per person per day. Salem's Smart Water Management program savings are unmatched by any other measure, which is why the City is working to expand the program's scope to include local businesses and residences.

In implementing Smart Water Management, Salem City was prompted by the need to avoid or offset water system infrastructure upgrades. For example, Salem faces a $1.5 million expense to meter consumers' water usage. If the City can curb unsustainable water use, such projects may be subsidized by water cost savings or even rendered unnecessary. Salem City's Parks Department has seen its own water bill cut in half, a compelling financial benefit expected to motivate the town's business and home owners to follow suit in adopting smart irrigation technology for their own landscapes. 

Salem City also saves time with Smart Water Management. While Salem's previous irrigation systems required manual adjustments each time the local weather changed, the WeatherTRAK solution dynamically adjusts watering schedules as conditions warrant. Additional scheduling changes are made remotely from any location with Internet access. The City estimates that its five Parks Department employees will gain two to five hours per week during the six-month irrigation season.

"By leading by example when it comes to conservation, Salem is demonstrating that sustainable water use is not only achievable, but that it is also attractive from financial and operational perspectives," said Salem's City Engineer Bruce Ward. "Salem City's program represents an excellent model for cities everywhere looking for maximum returns on their water efficiency programs," said Sharon Thompson, vice president of marketing, HydroPoint. Ms. Thompson added, "If water savings like these are possible in the desert, they can be achieved anywhere."