Southern Utah officials adopt new large water use policy to safeguard resources – FOX 13 News Utah

Report on Washington County’s New Water Policy and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Introduction and Policy Overview

The Washington County Water Conservancy District has instituted a new policy to regulate large-scale water consumption by commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) entities. This measure is designed to safeguard the county’s finite water resources, which are sourced entirely from the Virgin River Basin. The policy’s objectives—protecting supply reliability for the community and ensuring responsible future development—directly align with the principles of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

According to Zach Renstrom, the district’s general manager, the policy addresses the disproportionate consumption by the top one percent of CII users, who account for nearly half of the water use in those sectors. This strategic intervention aims to prevent new, high-demand developments from compromising the region’s long-term water resource strategy.

Policy Framework and Contribution to SDG 6

The policy establishes a review process for facilities with significant projected water usage, contributing to integrated water resources management as outlined in SDG Target 6.5. The specific thresholds for review are:

• Nine million gallons or more per year for most of the county.
• Five million gallons or more per year in the communities of Toquerville, Virgin, and La Verkin.

This tiered approach ensures sustainable withdrawals and promotes water-use efficiency across all sectors, directly supporting the goals of SDG Target 6.4 by actively addressing water scarcity in a vulnerable region.

Collaborative Governance and SDG 17

A central component of the policy is the creation of the Administration Advisory Committee (AAC), a 16-member board with representation from each of the district’s eight municipal partners. This structure embodies the spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by fostering a multi-stakeholder partnership for sustainable development. As Mr. Renstrom noted, “This policy ensures a single community cannot approve a large water user without review and consensus of the broader community,” highlighting the collaborative approach to managing a shared resource.

Project Approval Criteria and Alignment with Multiple SDGs

For a project to gain approval from the AAC, which requires a two-thirds majority vote, it must satisfy three core requirements. These criteria integrate environmental stewardship with economic and social considerations, reflecting a holistic approach to sustainability.

1. The project serves a critical public interest. This aligns with SDG 11 by ensuring that new developments provide necessary or beneficial services to the region’s citizens, contributing to inclusive and sustainable communities.
2. The applicant will utilize aggressive water efficiency measures. This criterion is a direct implementation of SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), specifically targeting the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources (Target 12.2).
3. The project will increase the economic productivity of water use in the region. This supports SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by promoting resource efficiency and seeking to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation (Target 8.4).

Conclusion: A Framework for Sustainable Development

The new policy provides a clear framework for evaluating large water demands from projects such as data centers, golf courses, and bottling plants. By reinforcing the district’s role as a steward of public resources, this regulation establishes a robust mechanism for balancing economic development with environmental protection. It serves as a practical model for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals at a local level, ensuring that future growth does not compromise the long-term water security and well-being of the community.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses a new water management policy in Washington County, Utah, which directly connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focused on water, sustainable communities, and responsible resource use. The primary SDGs addressed are:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – This is the most directly relevant SDG, as the article’s entire focus is on managing limited freshwater resources, ensuring supply reliability, and promoting water efficiency.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The policy is a regional effort involving eight municipal partners to ensure the long-term viability and resilience of their communities in the face of water scarcity, which is crucial for sustainable urban development.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – The policy targets large commercial, industrial, and institutional water users, aiming to ensure the sustainable management and efficient use of a key natural resource (water) and increase its economic productivity.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the policy’s objectives and mechanisms described in the article, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity. The article highlights that the policy’s purpose is to “safeguard the county’s limited water resources” and requires large new projects to “utilize aggressive water efficiency measures.” This directly aligns with increasing water-use efficiency to manage scarcity.
• Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels. The article describes the creation of a multi-jurisdictional “Administration Advisory Committee” with members from “eight municipal partners” who share the same water supply. This collaborative review and approval process is a clear example of integrated water resources management at a regional level.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.b: By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards… resource efficiency, …and resilience. The new policy is an integrated plan for a group of communities to improve water resource efficiency and build resilience against water scarcity, which is a key challenge for the region’s future development.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. The policy directly addresses this target by establishing rules for “large commercial, industrial, and institutional water users” to ensure their consumption does not compromise the region’s “limited water resources.” The requirement that a project “increase the economic productivity of water use” is a direct measure of efficient resource use.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention official UN SDG indicators, but it provides several concrete metrics and criteria that can serve as practical, localized indicators to measure progress:

Indicators for SDG 6 Targets

• Indicator for Target 6.4 (Water-Use Efficiency): The specific water use thresholds that trigger a review—”nine million gallons or more per year” and “five million gallons per year” in certain communities. Tracking the number of projects subject to this review and the efficiency measures they implement can measure progress. The requirement for “aggressive water efficiency measures” is a qualitative indicator that can be assessed during the project review.
• Indicator for Target 6.5 (Integrated Management): The establishment and functioning of the “Administration Advisory Committee.” The number of projects reviewed and the decisions made by this multi-community board (requiring a “two-thirds majority”) serve as an indicator of the implementation of integrated water management.

Indicator for SDG 11 Target

• Indicator for Target 11.b (Integrated Policies): The formal adoption of the “new policy establishing rules and regulations” by the Washington County Water Conservancy District is itself an indicator. The number of municipalities (eight) actively participating in the policy’s implementation through the advisory committee also demonstrates the adoption of this integrated plan.

Indicator for SDG 12 Target

• Indicator for Target 12.2 (Sustainable Management): The review criteria for new projects, specifically the requirement that a project “increase the economic productivity of water use in the region.” This provides a measurable link between water consumption and economic benefit, serving as a direct indicator of efficient and sustainable resource management.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: fox13now.com