Water cutbacks/rationing

What is wrong with this picture? They are cutting back agriculture 30 percent and asking residents to use 20 gallons a day less water. Our water sources are stressed with the snow pack in the north 40 percent of normal, and the Colorado River is in its eighth year of drought. All indications are “Get used to it.”

Yet growth marches on with our leaders debating whether a new development near I-15 and Highway 76 should be 1,200 or 800 homes (or something close to those figures).

Future water plans are to accommodate 800,000 more people in the next 22 years. They also project a 40-percent reduction in agricultural use during this period – and more rationing – both I assume accomplished by heavy rate increases.

Developers will gain; agriculture will lose; lawns will be history.

In the meantime, existing residents will continue to share in the cost of providing “new” water for development.

Recommendations:

1. Water authorities declare today how much surplus water is actually available for new development.

2. New development buys their own water.

Glenn Carroll