Question by Laurel Draper, Farmington, Utah
Candice Hasenyager, the Director of Utah Division of Water Resources, said population growth does create some challenges for the state’s water supply.
“With our current water supply issues and challenges with the drought we’re in and with our increase in population, we do have some hard choices in front of us,” she said.
Despite these obstacles, Hasenyager assured that there are ways to use available water efficiently.
“That’s really done by integrating land use and water planning and implementing water efficiency ordinances at the beginning of development.”
The type of development influences how much water will be needed, according to Brad Wilson, Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives.
“More dense growth with smaller lots … actually uses a lot less water than the urban sprawl,” Speaker Wilson told the Great Salt Lake Collaborative.
Hasenyager said changing landscapes from traditional turf landscapes to water-wise landscapes in residential settings can also help reduce water use.
“There are some things that can be done to grow in a more sustainable way,” Hasenyager said.
—Reported and written by McCaulee Blackburn
