Water use and preservation element
Most municipalities (Utah Code 10-9a-403) and all counties (Utah Code 17-27a-401) must develop a water use and preservation element that is integrated with their general plan by December 31, 2025. The Division of Water Resources is excited to support communities in this endeavor.
Legislative requirements, impacted communities, outreach material, helpful programs and planning team contact information can be found below.
Technical assistance grant application
The Division of Water Resources is excited to support communities required to update their general plan with a water element (Utah Codes 10-9a-403 and 17-27a-403) through a technical assistance program.
Applications will open September 9, 2024 and close October 24, 2024. The process will be competitive and include a series of short answer questions within the application linked below.
Legislative requirements
The water use and preservation element should include the following:
- Effect of permitted development on water demand and infrastructure
- Methods for reducing water demand and per capita consumption for future development
- Methods for reducing water demand and per capita consumption for existing development
- Opportunities to modify operations to eliminate or reduce conditions that waste water
Additionally, active consultation with the public water system(s) serving your community with drinking water should occur. Coordination should include how the implementation of this integrated water and land use element may affect:
- Water supply planning
- Drinking water sources
- Storage capacity
- Distribution planning
- Current master plans
- Infrastructure asset management or replacement plans
- Impact fee facility plans
If your community is required to adopt a water conservation plan, the planning commission must recommend the following:
- Water conservation policies to be determined by the municipality or county
- Landscaping options within a public street for current and future development that do not require the use of lawn or turf in a park strip
- Changes to an ordinance that promotes the inefficient use of water
- Low water use landscaping standards for any new:
- Multifamily housing project
- Commercial, industrial or institutional development
- Common interest community, as defined in Utah Code 57-25-102
Impacted communities
All counties are required to integrate a water element into their general plan under Utah Code 17-27a-403.
Municipalities of the fourth class or larger are also required to integrate a water element into their general plan under Utah Code 10-9a-403. Below is a list of impacted cities
Alpine | Farmington | Magna | Provo | St. George |
American Fork | Grantsville | Mapleton | Riverton | Syracuse |
Bluffdale | Heber City | Midvale | Roy | Taylorsville |
Bountiful | Herriman | Millcreek | Salt Lake City | Tooele |
Brigham City | Highland | Murray | Sandy | Tremonton |
Cedar City | Holladay | North Logan | Santaquin | Vernal |
Cedar Hills | Hurricane | North Ogden | Saratoga Springs | Vineyard |
Centerville | Kaysville | North Salt Lake | Smithfield | Washington |
Clearfield | Kearns | Odgen | South Jordan | West Haven |
Clinton | Layton | Orem | South Ogden | West Jordan |
Cottonwood Heights | Lehi | Payson | South Salt Lake | West Point |
Draper | Lindon | Pleasant Grove | Spanish Fork | West Valley City |
Eagle Mountain | Logan | Pleasant View | Springville | Woods Cross |
The division has also identified a number of municipalities that may want to consider adding an integrated water and land use element to their general plan as they will be nearing a population of 10,000 by 2025:
Hooper | Ivins | Price | Richfield | Salem |
Hyrum | Park City | Providence | Riverdale | Washington Terrace |
Outreach materials
The Division of Water Resources has created the following documents for communities to follow in integrating their water and land planning.
Integrating water and land planning overview: quick summary of required elements. |
Integration guide: a how-to document for communities integrating their water and land planning. |
Examples guide: examples from communities across the Intermountain West and Southwest that fit legislative requirements. |
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Documents originating from the Growing Water Smart program are on the Growing Water Smart page, and may be used to further inform community efforts.
Coordinating partners and programs
The Division of Drinking Water can provide information on water system searches and help counties and cities implement open discussion and coordination with their water systems about storage capacity, water supply planning and how general plan updates can impact water systems. |
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The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food has many programs that promote agriculture easements and open space as well as water optimization that could be utilized and discussed by communities. |
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City and county planning team contact
The city and county planning team is here to help! Please feel free to reach out and let us know what questions you have or information, graphics, tips, plans or templates you’d like to see. Email CityCountyPlanning@utah.gov or reach out to an individual team member.
Jay Olsen
County Water and Land Conservation Manager
Department of Agriculture and Food
Other information regarding water and land planning can be found through the integrating land and water landing page.