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A jet skier recreates on Utah Lake near the Lincoln Beach Marina on Monday, June 22, 2020, west of Spanish Fork.

Isaac Hale, Daily Herald file photo

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A wave of muddy water laps up on shore near the Lincoln Beach Marina on Monday, June 22, 2020, west of Spanish Fork.

Isaac Hale, Daily Herald file photo

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Waves of muddy water lap up on shore near the Lincoln Beach Marina on Monday, June 22, 2020, west of Spanish Fork. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

Isaac Hale Daily Herald

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Spanish Fork city officials say they do not have any plans to implement water restrictions despite the ongoing drought facing Utah County and the rest of the state.

Data from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that the entire state is experiencing “moderate” drought conditions, while over 90% is experiencing “extreme” drought conditions. The east half of Utah County is experiencing extreme drought conditions, and the west half is experiencing “exceptional” drought conditions.

Gov. Spencer Cox issued executive orders on March 17 and May 13 declaring a state of emergency due to continued drought conditions.

While some cities, including Lehi, have looked to restrictions on lawn-watering and other water use during the drought, Spanish Fork Public Works Director Chris Thompson told the Spanish Fork City Council on Tuesday that “we don’t anticipate any water restrictions this year, not because we want to encourage waste, it’s just we feel like it makes more sense to water when it’s time to water, not (for watering to) be restricted to certain days.”

“If you say, ‘Well you can only water Monday, Wednesday and Friday,’ then you for sure water Monday, Wednesday and Friday,” he said during Tuesday’s city council meeting. “And so, historically, what we have done is just education, setting up a fair tiered-rate structure where you pay for every bit of water that you use. And we’ve avoided restrictions and just kind of trusted residents to use what they need when they need it. And that makes a lot more sense rather than being restricted at a certain time.”

Josie Paxton, a traffic engineer who helps the city track and measure water, noted that the tiered-rate structure, through which the city offers water users a base rate plus an increased fee for every 1,000 gallons of water used, helps “put some financial incentive behind conserving water.”

Other efforts taken by the city to improve water conservation include using “acoustic technology” to detect leaks, installing “smart meters” and creating an online portal “where you can see that information down to the gallon of how much you’re using and see if you’re on target to reach the goals that you would like to.”

Public works has installed 2,850 smart irrigation controllers since 2019 and plans to install 450 more this summer, according to Paxton.

“So this program is really effective,” she said.

Paxton added that The Oaks at Spanish Fork golf course is installing “more efficient” sprinkler heads this fall, which the city anticipates will save about $40,000 a year.

Spanish Fork’s water supply comes from Strawberry Reservoir, Crab Creek Springs, the Spanish Fork River and various wells throughout the city, according to Marlo Smith, an administrative assistant for the city public works department.

Smith noted that, despite this year’s statewide drought, Spanish Fork “has an adequate supply of water” this year.

Still, Mayor Steve Leifson urged Spanish Fork residents to do their part to conserve water during the statewide drought.

“We definitely want to have everyone conserve water. Because we are in a drought, so we really want them to do that,” he said.