The nation’s fastest-growing and second-driest state had a banner year for water conservation as it plays catch-up to the rest of the West.
By Mark Olalde, ProPublica
Utah policymakers billed the 2022 legislative session as the “year of water.” Gov. Spencer Cox signed into law more than 15 measures related to water conservation, heralding “generational” progress as the West’s megadrought continues well into its third decade.
Those pieces of legislation allow farmers to earn money by sending their water downstream to shrinking lakes, require water meters for landscaping, appropriate $40 million to protect the Great Salt Lake and more. But perhaps more telling were proposals that lawmakers carved up or voted down.
Legislators in the country’s fastest-growing and second-driest state rejected a bill meant to address leaky pipes. New laws aimed at mandating low-flow plumbing both in state facilities and new homes had to be scaled back to win passage. And regulations on Utah’s lush green lawns remained largely off-limits, as interest groups stalled or rewrote bills targeting grass.
Recent Posts
It Looks Like Israel Wants To Start A Wider War
Take Action Now Provoking Iran is a strategy to distract from the ongoing slaughter of civilians in Gaza. by Stephen Zunes, The Progressive…
The U.S. Is Entering A New Phase Of Protest Suppression
Take Action Now Political repression is on the rise as the state finds new ways to criminalize dissent and collective action. by Adam Federman, In…
At UN Conference, Indigenous Peoples Say Little Has Changed After Promises Made A Decade Ago
Take Action Now Now, climate change is adding urgency to those pledges. By Anita Hofschneider, Grist In December, Catherine Muruparanga-Ikenn used…
Under UN Charter, Iran’s Attack Was A Legal Response To Israel’s Illegal Attack
Take Action Now Iran’s attack on Israel was lawful self-defense carried out in compliance with international humanitarian law. By Marjorie Cohn,…