Saratoga Springs is dedicated to conserving water. In 2015 we switched our irrigation system to a metered system. Following the example of Saratoga Springs and other cities in the state that had switched to this type of system, the Utah State Legislature passed bill H.B.242 which will require all cities in Utah to switch to a metered irrigation system. In Saratoga Springs each resident is billed a monthly average that pays for components and maintenance of the irrigation system. Through the irrigation season, residents pay additional costs for the water they use.

This cost is based on a tiered rate structure. Each property has a water allotment. If a resident stays within the allotment for the size of their property, the water used will be at a lower rate. Water rates can increase based on water use if a resident uses beyond the allotted amount for their property. The rate increase is based on the cost of supplementary water that would be used if a resident chose to continue to use water beyond what was allotted for their property. This fee structure ensures that residents are only paying for the water they use, and not having to pay for water use of another resident that may choose to use more water on their property.

In 2018 we converted both our culinary and irrigation metering systems to a cloud-based system. With this switch, we were able to launch the My Water Use Customer Portal. This portal lets residents see their culinary and irrigation system use on an hourly basis. They are also able to access historical usage data and set up alerts if their water use suddenly spikes above a certain amount in either system.

This can help residents catch issues sooner to be able to fix them in a timely manner and minimize water waste. Over the years of using the metered irrigation system, and now with the My Water Use Customer Portal, water usage by residents of Saratoga Springs has dropped dramatically. Studies have shown that our residents use a significant amount of water less than those in surrounding communities.

Daily Herald file photo

In addition, our parks department has been switching city facilities to a smart irrigation system to water according to the watering requirement needs of the turf in those facilities. There are many factors such as evapotranspiration, soil types, root depth, irrigation system efficiency, and slope that can affect how much water a specific facility might need.

This system allows better control of our systems by making it possible to adjust each system through a central cloud-based system. This smart watering system can also monitor and track water flow and send notifications on malfunctions in real-time. The system can sense a malfunction and automatically shut off a damaged irrigation system allowing us to make timely repairs to avoid unnecessary water waste in city facilities.

By working together we can do our part to conserve water by being aware of our water use and making adjustments when needed. Preserving this important resource and ensuring the future of Utah as one of the best places to live.