Rette Speight

Rep. Larry Wiley, D-West Valley City, proposed a bill Wednesday that would create a state facility water conservation program.

Currently, Utah ranks second in the nation for the amount of water used per capita Wiley said. However, since the year 2000 Utahns have reduced their water use by 10 percent. This proves that Utahns are willing to do their part, he said.

This program would provide guidelines, procedures and design and construction standards for existing, renovated and newly constructed state facilities concerning water conservation improvements.

Dale Pierson of the Rural Water Association of Utah said the state's water systems already have been encouraged to conserve water. He said it is important that the state water systems "step up" and include the state facilities.

"The state of Utah should be a leader and not a follower in the area of water conservation," Pierson said.

By bringing in state facilities, Pierson said, the state will be preserving "essential elements" for future water conservation efforts.

The water conservation program would address such issues as bathroom fixtures and "smart" sprinkler systems. Those smart systems, Wiley said, would be able to detect rainy days and would shut off automatically. They also would water in the early mornings instead of the middle of the day.

The Legislature currently has several environmentally friendly bills circulating through its chambers and floors.

Wiley said this is the second year he's tried to run this bill. It passed the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environmental committee unanimously.