Utah needs $2 billion investment to upgrade, maintain water infrastructure

(UC) — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and numerous state agencies have finalized Utah's Coordinated Action Plan for Water, which provides a blueprint for the future of water conservation in the state.

According to the ABC4 article, the 114-page report included extensive data presenting current concerns and prospective solutions to Utah's water situation, with the objective of educating lawmakers and financing water conservation programs. The paper emphasized water conservation, agricultural reform, watershed health protection, and repairing outdated water infrastructure.

Utah's water system is expected to be the most tumultuous and costly to fix, the report concluded.

According to the analysis, Utah must make a nearly $2 billion short-term investment to upgrade and maintain its water infrastructure in order to accommodate the state's ongoing population expansion.

Joel Ferry, Utah Department of Natural Resources executive director, said that the actual cost could reach $40 billion over the course of 30 years because Utah anticipates having 5 million residents by 2050.

“The more information that we have the better decision that we can make and the better the outcome will be,” Ferry told the television news station.

Ferry said that the state should prioritize funding for water saving measures including secondary water meters, agricultural water efficiency, and turf buyback.

The report's emphasis on agriculture was on helping farmers use water as efficiently as possible. Craig W. Buttars, commissioner of agriculture and food for the state of Utah, stated that he wants to see this optimization take place while still assisting farmers in maintaining or even increasing their output levels.

This research also highlighted the importance of safeguarding the state’s mountains, forests, and watersheds in order to maintain the critical snow runoff.

 

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