Here's the Scoop on Secondary Water Metering

Weber Basin Water Event – June 25, 2019

Weber Basin Water Conservancy District representatives in attendance: Jon Parry, Assistant General Manager of Conservation Programs and Riley Olsen, Staff Engineer assigned to West Haven area.

Mr. Parry began his presentation with a discussion of the history of Weber Basin Water Conservancy’s presence in the West Haven area. He stated that in 2000/2001, Weber Basin acquired the Kanesville Irrigation Company’s secondary water system located in West Haven. West Haven’s system is somewhat unique within Weber Basin, because all of the water here is obtained through the transfer of existing water shares from other irrigation companies, including Hooper Irrigation, Davis and Weber Canal Companies and Wilson Irrigation. These shares are based on existing water rights with their respective prioritization based the original date of appropriation. The reason this makes West Haven unique is because in other service areas, Weber Basin is selling water that they have developed themselves through wells, etc.

When a new user wants to obtain secondary water through Weber Basin, they go through the following process:

1. Application – The new user submits information about how large of an area needs water and what the characteristics of the area are.

2. District Review – The Weber Basin engineer reviews the application and calculates how much water will be needed to service the area. Most calculations are based on about 30 inches of water being needed per season. The applicant must transfer enough water shares to Weber Basin to cover this need.

3. Construction – The applicant builds the water delivery system for their area.

4. District Takeover – Weber Basin takes over the water delivery infrastructure after the 1 year warranty period. Going forward, they will maintain it.

Weber Basin contracts with the Roy Water Conservancy District for operation of the infrastructure in West Haven.

Since 2009, Weber Basin has had a requirement that new users be metered throughout the entirety of the District’s secondary service area. They’ve been working on retrofitting all secondary service connections, including those in West Haven, with meters as well. That process is now essentially complete in the West Haven service area. The meters show how much water is used on your property, as well as details about when the water is used.

The metering system was put in place both to comply with anticipated changing State requirements and to work toward ensuring that usage does not exceed allocations. The goal is to provide enough information and tools to users that they can make necessary adjustments throughout the watering season and stay within their allocations.

Each month, users receive a report from Weber Basin. This report shows Estimated Need for the past month (how much water it is estimated that should have been used based on local weather conditions and landscaped area) and the actual amount of water used. The estimated need is NOT your allocation.

Allocation: The amount of water that is available to each user per season. This amount does not change from year to year, although allocation amounts for different users are not the same. It is based on the required volume of water necessary for landscape based on 30-year historic averages and subsequent signed petitions. These allocations are made available through the transfer of shares. The allocation amount is contractual, and users are not to exceed it. Since West Haven’s system is based on transfer of shares, there is not extra water in the system to cover overages, unless another user is not using his full allocation. So if you go over your allocation, you are using the water that someone else paid for and has rights to use.

In order to see what your allocation is, visit https://customers.weberbasin.com to sign up for customer portal access. You will need your account number and authentication code. Both are found at the top right corner of your monthly water use report. Once you set up an account, you can view your allocation, daily, hourly, and monthly usage reports and historical usage data (historical data is available for most, but not all, users). You can also configure alerts so that you will receive notifications if you use more than a certain amount of water (usage alert) or percentage of your allocation (allocation alert), if your system runs for over a set number of hours (a leak alert), or a vacation alert.

The District’s main website, www.weberbasin.com has a list of rebates for users who wish to improve their water conservation. These include smart irrigation controllers, and toilet upgrades for certain qualifying homeowners. This main website also has information about signing up for a water audit, where District staff will visit your property to help you figure out the most efficient ways to use your water. They will check your irrigation system and provide recommended water schedules based on observed site conditions. These audits can be scheduled by calling 801-771-1677. There is also a link to sign up for several educational classes, including lawn care, an introduction to localscapes, irrigation workshops, and many more.

Q&A (paraphrased - I couldn't write notes fast enough to get it down verbatim :) )

I’ve noticed that sometimes I don’t have very good water pressure in my system. What can be done?

Since the end of last season, several upgrades have been completed in our area to address system pressure issues. So far this year, it looks like pressures have improved. If there are ongoing problems, please contact the District and we’d be happy to help you.

What does the amount billed on my annual property taxes for Weber Basin Water cover? Is this my allocation? Do I have to pay this much if I don’t use all of my water?

Yes, the amount on your property taxes (called direct billing) covers your allocation for the season. If you think that you are paying for more water than your property needs or will need, you can contact our office to discuss decreasing your allocation. This issue may arise if a large portion of your property is hardscaped instead of landscaped.

Why do I have to be connected to secondary water? Couldn’t I just get rid of it and save money?

Weber Basin does not require property owners to be connected to our system. However, the city may, and culinary water districts often require proof that secondary water has been provided to a property to prevent culinary water being used for landscape maintenance. Regardless, with the amount of water that is used for irrigation, in most cases it is much more cost effective to water with secondary water.

What if I use more water than I am allocated? I got a postcard last year that says I will have to pay a fine.

For this irrigation season, the District is focusing on education of their users. They are providing conservation learning opportunities and tools for users to monitor their usage. It is important to remember that you do not have the right to use more water than you have been allocated. In future years, users who exceed their allocations may be subject to fines, early shut-offs, etc.

I know someone who wastes a lot of water. What can I do?

There are several options. It’s neighborly to talk to them. Maybe they have a leak they aren’t aware of, or could use some help accessing resources to learn good irrigation practices. The District is also working on an online wasteful watering reporting tool, but it is not live yet.

What if it’s a really hot, dry year? I want my grass to stay nice – can I use more water those years?

No. Your allocated amount does not change. In a hot dry year, everyone will need to make adjustments to expectations. Most of the water rights for shares in our area have an old enough prioritization date that they would not be decreased in those years, but there is not extra water in the system to allow users to go over their allocations.

Can’t I just pay for the water I use instead of paying a set amount?

Weber Basin has commissioned a study to see if it makes sense to transition to a usage based billing structure in our area instead of direct billing. There is some thought that such a change might provide a slight conservation incentive. Users would still not be allowed to exceed their allocations. No decisions have been made yet.

Who can I contact if I need more information?

For general information, visit www.weberbasin.com or call 801-771-1677.

To reach Mr. Parry, email jparry@weberbasin.com

To reach Mr. Olsen, email rolsen@weberbasin.com