The past couple of good water years may have lulled us into a sense of complacency, but this year Mother Nature has reminded us that we still live in a desert.

The wet, cool weather during April helped increase the scanty snowpack, but most of the state is still in line for a “severe or moderate drought,” according to an article in the April 26 Deseret News. A report released on April 25 by the U.S. Drought Monitor said that drought conditions are expected to persist or get worse in the coming months.

Q: Why meter the system at all?

A: The primary reason is fairness. Currently, we bill according to the size of the lot. For instance, a lot of .33 acres is billed at one rate, but a lot of .34 acres falls into the next rate category and pays 50% more. Their water use is probably very similar, so the billing is not fair. With meters, each lot owner will pay for the amount of water used.

A strong secondary reason is to encourage water conservation. With meters, our customers will be encouraged to use water wisely because it will save them money.

If your property has a dual sprinkler system (one that can use water from either our culinary system or our pressure irrigation system), it must be installed properly so that water from the irrigation system does not accidentally contaminate your drinking water. The WaterPro service area is one of the few in the Salt Lake valley that allows dual sprinkler systems IF properly installed AND protected by a Reduced Pressure Zone backflow assembly (RP).

The proper setup of a dual system would make it impossible for secondary water to enter the drinking water system and vice versa.  Construction specifications for a legal dual sprinkler system are found here.  If you have any other questions about cross connections, please contact our office and ask for Paige.

The snow is still clinging to the mountains, but emergency management experts are already predicting a red-hot fire season for 2013. Some factors that may make this fire season especially bad, according to an article published March 8 in the Deseret News, include:

• Increasingly severe weather, including hotter, drier summers
• Development that encroaches on formerly undeveloped, fire-prone areas such as Corner Canyon
• Cuts in the federal Forest Service’s budget for firefighting that shift costs to local fire departments

If you live close to undeveloped areas where fire is a danger, use these tips to protect your property: