Governor Spencer J. Cox, the Salt Lake Chamber, along with government, business and community leaders, announced the launch of the “Water Champion H2Oath,” a pledge for businesses to publicly commit to water conservation and water-wise practices.
“Utah is facing the most severe drought conditions in recent memory,” Gov. Cox said. “That’s why I’m so grateful for the Salt Lake Chamber and business owners who are doing their part to beat this drought by signing the H2Oath Pledge. Limiting turf on business campuses, fixing leaks and cutting back on watering will make a tremendous difference for us all.”
Utah is experiencing a prolonged drought and weathering an exceptionally dry year creating a cascade of consequences. The current soil moisture conditions are extremely low and lead to adverse conditions for agriculture, wildfire conditions, water supply management and other natural resource challenges. Water conservation due to low snowpack and declining reservoir storage has once again elevated concern to crisis levels for leaders public and private. Much of Utah’s government, business and residential water is used in landscaping, with little thought of conservation. The business community is stepping forward to lead these efforts to instill in each Utahns mind the importance of every gallon of water we consume.
“Utah’s business community recognizes that water is a precious natural resource,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance. “We know that how we manage water today will affect nearly every aspect of our future. As Utah is experiencing an unprecedented drought, we must all do our part to protect and efficiently use the water supply.”
By taking the Water Champion H2Oath, businesses pledge to:
- Use the Utah Division of Water Resources as a resource to implement water-efficient methods, technologies, and practices;
- Adopt the conservewater.utah.gov Weekly Lawn Watering Guide and limit watering landscapes between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., which supports Governor Spencer J. Cox’s executive order to state facilities;
- Audit and repair all landscape irrigation systems so they are operating at maximum acceptable efficiency;
- Implement leak-detection and repair programs for both indoor and outdoor water use;
- Shut off systems manually during rain and wind events in areas without rain and wind sensors;
- Evaluate opportunities to:
- Fix irrigation inefficiencies and update irrigation technology with devices that are WaterSense certified and include rain and wind shutoff functions and soil moisture sensors;
- Limit turf areas surrounding facilities and replace turf with waterwise plants;
- Conduct periodic checks of restrooms, boiler rooms, etc., to ensure appliances are working at maximum efficiency, and replace inefficient plumbing fixtures with WaterSense certified low-flow fixtures;
- Update facility-management technology to include metering for water-consuming processes related to irrigation, domestic, and mechanical systems;
- Be an advocate of water efficiency by setting an example and help educate friends and neighbors on the importance of water conservation, and reduce indoor water waste.
“We understand that how we do business influences the world around us, and only by measuring and monitoring our performance do we fully understand our impact,” said Fred Lampropoulos, chairman and CEO of Merit Medical Systems. “Water is a global concern, but goals and initiatives are addressed at the site level by understanding local/ regional water basin activity and stress. We continuously work to understand the impact of water use at each of our operating facilities and to enact programs that improve water efficiency.”
To view and sign the Water Champion H2Oath, visit slchamber.com/H2Oath.
