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Home My WebLink AboutProposed Ordinance - 10/22/2025SALT LAKE CITY ORDINANCE No. _____ of 202__ (Adopting the Water Conservation and Land Use Planning plan) An ordinance adopting the Water Conservation and Land Use Planning plan as part of Salt Lake City’s general plan. WHEREAS, the Salt Lake City Planning Commission held a hearing on August 27, 2025 on a petition to adopt the Water Conservation and Land Use Planning plan as part of Salt Lake City’s general plan as governed by Part 4 of Utah Code Chapter 10-9a; and WHEREAS, at its August 27, 2025 meeting, the Planning Commission voted in favor of forwarding a positive recommendation to the Salt Lake City Council (“City Council”) on said petition; and WHEREAS, after holding a public hearing on this matter, the City Council has determined that adopting this ordinance is in the city’s best interests. NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained by the City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah: SECTION 1. Adopting the Water Conservation and Land Use Planning plan. That the Water Conservation and Land Use Planning plan provided in Exhibit “A” attached hereto is adopted as part of Salt Lake City’s general plan as governed by Part 4 of Utah Code Chapter 10- 9a. The adoption of this plan serves to identify the goals and objectives identified within the plan, all of which are subject to future budget appropriations. SECTION 2. Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective on the date of its first publication. Passed by the City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah, this ______ day of ______________, 202__. ______________________________ CHAIRPERSON ATTEST AND COUNTERSIGN: ______________________________ CITY RECORDER Transmitted to Mayor on _______________________. Mayor's Action: _______Approved. _______Vetoed. ______________________________ MAYOR ______________________________ CITY RECORDER (SEAL) Bill No. ________ of 202__. Published: ______________. Ordinance adopting Water Conservation plan APPROVED AS TO FORM Salt Lake City Attorney’s Office Date:__________________________________ By: ___________________________________ Katherine D. Pasker, Senior City Attorney October 7, 2025 EXHIBIT “A” Water Conservation and Land Use Planning plan 42 SALT LAKE CITY | PLAN SALT LAKE 14/ WATER CONSERVATION AND LAND USE PLANNING GUIDING PRINCIPLE/ Grow in a manner that ensures water supply meets demand and provides sufficient redundancy to respond to water supply risks. 43SALT LAKE CITY | PLAN SALT LAKE 14/ WATER CONSERVATION AND LAND USE PLANNING POLICIES 1.Update water supply and demand plans every five years, or as appropriate, to maintain an understanding of the effect current development has on water demand and water infrastructure needs. 2.Utilize current Conservation Plan strategies to meet the Water Supply & Demand Plan goals. 3.Update community plans and zoning regulations to reduce the amount of water demand and per capita water use for future development. •Develop consistent future land use regulations across all community and small area plans to better understand the impact future development has on water demand and supply. •Identify land uses with high water consumption and develop water saving strategies. •Support decreased lot size and configuration standards. •As supply availability reduces, consider additional programs, policies, and regulations that can reduce water use. •Review allowed land uses in the zoning code and consider prohibiting land uses that consume large amounts of water. •Consider incentives for new and existing developments to utilize low-water demand landscaping and fixtures. •When needed, require new development to contribute water to increase the supply of water. 4.Support zoning regulations that promote sustainable landscaping practices to reduce outdoor water use and stormwater runoff, including: •Water wise landscaping that limits the use of high-water consuming turf and prohibits turf on steeper slopes, in small, landscaped areas, and in park strips. •Prioritize the maintenance, water, and planting of trees. •Reduce the amount of water used to irrigate park strips within city rights of way through elimination of overwatering and water waste. •Promote the maintenance and update of irrigation systems to reduce water waste. •Establish regulations that reduce storm water runoff, including appropriate grading, landscaping, and limits on impervious surfaces. 5.Support actions that improve the City’s water resiliency, including: •Strategies identified in the current Water Conservation Plan. •Ensure water is conserved and used efficiently at City facilities and operatus. •Investments into the City’s water, stormwater, and wastewater infrastructure. •Strategies promoting the health of Great Salt Lake, the City’s Wasatch Mountain watersheds, the Jordan River, and its tributaries. •Climate adaptation and mitigation. Salt Lake City provides water services not only to properties within the city boundaries, but to properties outside of the city as well. This creates a great responsibility to manage water resources responsibly for current and future generations. The City is also expected to grow significantly between now through at least 2040. Planning our growth is necessary to ensure that the city can provide clean, safe drinking water for residents and visitors while also ensuring water is available for businesses. To accomplish this, the city will continue efforts to reduce water demand and eliminate water waste, through changing development patterns, reducing overall water use, improving delivery systems, and appropriately pricing the cost of water based on the amount of water consumed. The following policies and initiatives will help the city ensure future residents, visitors, and businesses have adequate water in the future. GUIDING PRINCIPLE/ Grow in a manner that ensures water supply meets demand and provides sufficient redundancy to respond to water supply risks. 2060 METRICS: 1.CITYWIDE PER CAPITA WATER USE. 44 SALT LAKE CITY | PLAN SALT LAKE Salt Lake City Public Utilities provides water service to areas outside the city that include other cities on the eastern side of the valley, south of Salt Lake City. Public Utilities prepares a new 40-year Long Range Water Supply & Demand Plan approximately every five years, with the most recent plan prepared in 2022, primarily using 2018 data. The water demand projections are based on the water service area population below. In 2023 the service area used 154 gallons of water per capita per day. This amount takes the daily water use for all land uses (not just residential) and divides it by the service area population. The population projections for the service area are from the 2022 Water Supply & Demand Plan. Salt Lake City is expected to grow up to 272,468 people by 2060, with the city’s water service area population growing to 447,804. The anticipated demand, with the regional goal reduction of 25%, will be 122,300-acre feet of water. This exceeds the anticipated supply (during dry years). The current Water Supply & Demand Plan outlines three conservation planning scenarios to test the ability of the city’s water supply to reliably meet demand by the year 2060. •Scenario 1 - Water savings primarily by improved efficiency. Does not represent significant changes in lifestyle or development patterns. •Scenario 2 - Additional water conservation efforts through partial conversion to higher- efficiency household fixtures and lower water use landscaping methods. •Scenario 3 - Maximum likely conservation, including full conversion to both higher- efficiency household fixtures and low water use landscaping methods. For planning purposes, the City is incorporating Scenario 2, which includes increased water conservation and the development of the City’s remaining water rights by the year 2060. The City also utilizes the current Conservation Plan, which is informed by the Water Supply & Demand Plan, for strategies to meet this goal. This is subject to change, as long-range water supply and demand plans are regularly updated to incorporate new information. CONSIDERATION OF WATER CONSUMPTION FOR EXISTING AND FUTURE POPULATION Source: 2022 Salt Lake City Water Supply & Demand Plan Year 25% Reduction in Per Capita Use in Acre Feet (current state goal) Conservation Scenario 1 in Acre Feet Conservation Scenario 2 in Acre Feet Conservation Scenario 3 in Acre Feet Service Area Population 2025 105,100 103,500 91,000 74,500 378,838 2030 111,300 109,600 96,600 79,300 401,049 2040 117,400 115,700 102,300 84,600 424,671 2050 122,300 120,500 106,700 88,600 447.804 2060 127,200 125,200 111,200 92,600 470,704 ANNUAL WATER PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS