The Audit Report researched the Division of Water Resources (DWR) projections of Utah’s Water Needs and found DWR:
• Lacked reliable Water Use Data. DWR does not have reliable actual local water use data and accurate water use data is critical for management.
• Conservation could reduce water demand much further than DWR’s low estimates. DWR assumes water use will decline to only 220 gpcd by 2025 and then no decrease after that to 2050. Thereby, DWR overestimates future water demand.
• DWR does not consider growth in water supply by communities beyond what was developed in 2010.
• The current basin plans underestimate the amount of agricultural water that could be available for municipal use in the future.
• Policymakers should consider the way water is priced in Utah. Utah’s existing price structure does not encourage conservation.
• Recommended all water be metered. Universal metering provides managers data needed to effectively manage their systems.