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Show 42 water conservation to the forefront, the average precipitation in the Valley is ten to fifteen inches per year and Utah is the second driest state in the Union ( www. wrcc. dri. edu/ narratives/ UTAH. htm, 11/ 29/ 03). In contrast, people in the Salt Lake Valley use an average of 50 inches of water per lawn during the year { Annual Conservation Report 2003, 11/ 1/ 03). This discrepancy shows that the disparity between water consumption and precipitation will need to be addressed in the future whether or not drought conditions exist. Water conservation, to be effective, will need to address the low water levels that occur naturally in Utah and the Salt Lake Valley. The problem with a short- term view of water conservation is that it leads to policies that do not resolve root problems with the over- consumption of water. This could lead to future situations of drought, where water shortages may become an emergency. If the development of additional water resources, is seen as the only or most important way to meet future demands, water conservation policies become less effective in addressing the problems with water demands. This perpetuates the problems that led to water shortages in the first place. The public perception that water is plentiful and readily available remains unchallenged by this development perspective. Additionally, the reaction to drought as an emergency situation is sustained by this attitude and does not accurately reflect Utah's water supply. Long- term perspectives in regard to water supplies make more effective policies because they do address the issues of precipitation and future drought. Salt Lake City Department of Public Utility's policy, in which conserved water is |
