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The Utah Rivers Council hopes a new partnership with four Utah cities will help the state — No. 1 for per-capita water consumption — conserve H2O.
On Tuesday, Murray, Sandy, Park City and Ogden announced their participation in a statewide program to distribute discounted rain-collecting barrels to residents. Residents of those cities can purchase the barrels, which normally cost $130, for $40. The barrels have a 50-gallon capacity and are designed to be attached to a home's storm drain. Each unit has a spigot for a garden hose so that the collected rainwater can be used for outdoor watering.
Outdoor watering, including irrigating lawns and watering gardens, accounts for most of Utah's residential water use, said Zach Frankel, executive director of the Utah Rivers Council.
Another rain barrel event, held in May, distributed more than 1,000 barrels — enough to save 50,000 gallons of water with each good rainstorm, he said.
But the barrels don't just help conserve water, Frankel said; they also improve the health of the valley's waterways by preventing oily or dirty storm drain runoff from flowing into natural waterways.
Residents can order the discounted barrels, which will be available for pick up in late August, online at http://www.savesomethingutah.org. Those who don't live in a participating city can also order barrels for $75.