BOUNTIFUL—City Council has approved a Proclamation Declaring Scarcity of Water, and set into motion a series of restrictions for the use of culinary water for outdoor watering. The restrictions will remain in place until April 15, 2023 unless conditions improve or are renewed for an additional period by the council.

As reported in our April 8 issue of Davis Journal, the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District is delaying the discharge of secondary water systems until mid-May due to the severe drought conditions in the state of Utah, and adopted restrictions for lawn and garden watering that limit it to one day a week. 

In Bountiful, a number of east side homes do not have access to secondary water for irrigation of their lawns and gardens and therefore use culinary water in their yards. Recognizing the need for everyone to conserve water, the proclamation also sets forth a series of regulations for culinary water usages. Here is a summary of those restrictions:

Outdoor watering with culinary water is expressly prohibited between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (This is not new – it’s already part of the city code).

Outdoor use of culinary water is not permitted on any Wednesday. This is known as a “recovery day” for the city’s water system.

Landscaping, which includes turf, plantings and gardening on residential properties, may only be watered once a week. Zone run times can be no longer than 20 minutes for pop-up sprinklers and 40 minutes for rotary style sprinklers.

Hand watering is allowed one time per week for a maximum flow rate of 5 gallons per minute for established trees and shrubs. This includes newly installed landscaping.

Rinsing or washing of sidewalks, driveways, patios or other outdoor surfaces is prohibited.

Residential swimming pools may only be filled by using a hose connection to a primary structure, with a maximum flow rate of 5 gallons per minute.

Some public facilities such as the Bountiful Ridge Golf Course and certain city parks will be permitted to spot water to prevent damage from wide public use. Those specifications were outlined to maintenance personnel.

There are enforcement actions to be implemented for any violations of the water restrictions, starting with a written warning and spanning to include substantial fines for ongoing offenses, including possible termination of culinary water services until fines are paid.

The Davis Journal will run continuous stories this summer and into fall about Utah’s ongoing drought and water shortages, so watch for more information. λ