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.

According to Randy Julander, supervisor of the Utah Snow Survey program run by the U. S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, “The bottom line is we have gone from worse to bad…this pitched us out of the fire and into the frying pan.”

How Can You Help?

What can the average citizen do to help the state during a drought? One big place that individuals can make a difference is by adopting conservation measures around the house, especially outdoors, since 2/3 of the water used in an average home is used outdoors.

Start at http://www.slowtheflow.org This valuable website gathers water-wise tips from a variety of

sources to help you make good decisions. Some of the resources available here include:

• A customized water use survey to help you determine your indoor and outdoor water use habits.
• A link for a free water check to analyze the efficiency of your automated sprinkler system.
• Information about rebate programs for installing water-conserving devices indoors and out.
• Links to information about water-conserving plans and landscaping ideas.
• A weekly lawn watering guide that shows, with a  map, recommended watering schedules based on local weather patterns.
• A calendar of events for gardeners and others interested in water conservation.

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.

Q: When will the meters be installed?

A: We already have meters installed on 34 commercial accounts. We plan to install 100 meters for residential customers this year on various sizes of lots. We plan to have meters installed for all our pressure irrigation customers within five years.

Q: When will I get my first bill?

A: We will begin billing according to metered use in 2014. The first two bills will be informational only, so customers can note their usage and fix leaks or begin conservation measures if they wish.

Q: What will this do to my PI bill?

A: One change you’ll notice is that your bills will vary from month to month as usage changes, where currently you’re billed at a flat rate. We will offer bill averaging as we do with the culinary system so you can budget more effectively.

Q: Who pays to install the meters?

A: To minimize expenses to the company and our stockholders, we have applied for matching grants. For this year’s meter installations we have a grant from the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. We have applied for a grant from the Bureau of Reclamation to help defray expenses for further meter installations. These government agencies underwrite efforts like this to encourage water conservation.

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.

• 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:

• Keep weeds and grass trimmed
• Do not allow rubbish such as old furniture or boxes to pile up around your house
• Do not stack firewood next to your house or other structure
• Don’t allow leaves or needles to build up on your roof or in your gutters
• Dispose of cigarettes properly and always extinguish outdoor fires, candles, torches, grills, etc. when done with them

WaterPro complies with all state and federal regulations for water storage to have sufficient water available for fighting fires, but the best policy is to avoid problems in the first place.

Please vote! We must receive votes from a certain percentage of our stockholders in order to continue doing business.

If you are not interested or prefer not to vote, we still ask that you mark the option on your ballot to assign us your proxy vote and return the ballot to WaterPro.

If you are planning to attend our stockholders’ meeting (and we hope you do!), you can bring the ballot to the meeting with you. If you are not attending, please return your ballot to our office before March 27.

If you have any questions, please contact Diana Percival at hope@waterpro.net or 801-571-2232.

George Greenwood founded Greenwood Construction Company in 1979, specializing in retail and high-end office construction. After selling the company in 2002, he and his wife Louann have concentrated on restoring their historic home on Fort Street and enjoying their 6 children and 21 grandchildren.

Dale Smith, a Draper resident since 1965, is co-owner of Dale T. Smith & Sons Meat Packing Company. He is also a descendant of Ebenezer Smith and Absalom Brown, some of the first settlers of Draper. He and his wife Joanne have 5 children and 26 grandchildren.

Noel married Jean Ann Goodman in 1957. He served in the Air National Guard and the Air Force, and served an LDS mission to Japan from 1953 to 1956.

Noel has been an active member of the Draper Historical Society since 1994.

Richard Skeen and his wife Judy have lived at Village on the Green at South Mountain since 1999. Together they aised six children.

He was appointed as a director on September 17, 1997, and has served as secretary, vice-president and president. He was the designated representative to the company for the Hidden Valley Country Club and was given the authority to vote their 595 shares.

Richard practiced law with the firm of Stoel Rives LLP from 1967 until his retirement as a partner in 2009.

• Turn off your stop and waste valve to avoid flooding your yard and home.
• Disconnect hoses.
• Check for and repair any cracks in standpipes.

It takes approximately 10-14 days to fill the system. Secondary water should be available to all customers by April 15th, although it may be available to some customers earlier.

Make Sure Your System Is In Good Repair

Even if your system was working perfectly last fall, it’s possible that this winter’s extreme cold has caused problems with the pipes or connections. If you fail to turn off your stop and waste, or if you don’t check for damage, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise when the system is pressured up. A little preparation can prevent flooding or other damage.

In general, everything past the stop and waste located at the property line is the responsibility of the homeowner, so it’s up to you to make sure your system is in good shape before you turn on the stop and waste and start watering. If you need help checking, preparing, or repairing your system, please contact a landscaper or other expert.

WaterPro does not have the manpower to help homeowners prepare their sprinkler systems. If there is an emergency we will dispatch a crew, but if our repair crew determines that the problem lies in a part of the system that is the homeowner’s responsibility, we will issue a bill for our crew’s time.

Why are frozen pipes bad?

When ice forms inside a pipe it expands and may crack the pipe. When the ice thaws, the broken pipe can leak badly, gushing water inside a wall or ceiling. If undetected, these leaks can damage walls, floors, ceilings, electrical systems — just about every part of your house.

Which pipes are most at risk?

Any pipe that passes by an uninsulated wall, basement, or attic may be at risk. Even pipes inside kitchen or bathroom cabinets may freeze, especially if the wall behind the cabinets is not well insulated.

How do I prevent frozen pipes?

There are several steps you can take to keep pipes from freezing in the first place:

• If you are going out of town for an extended period, turn off the water to your home. After turning off the main valve, open faucets to empty water out of the pipes.
• Wrap insulation sleeves (available at hardwares and home centers) around pipes that run through uninsulated areas.
• During cold spells, open lower cabinet doors in kitchens and bathrooms to allow heat to enter the cabinet.

If you think there is danger of your pipes freezing, open faucets slightly to allow a trickle of water to flow out constantly. Running water is slower to freeze than standing water.

How can I tell if pipes are frozen?

If you turn on a faucet and no water or only a trickle comes out, and other faucets are working normally, the pipe serving the non-working faucet may be frozen.

How do I thaw a frozen pipe?

First, turn off the water supply to the pipe. If there is not a shutoff valve for the individual pipe, you may need to turn off the water for the whole house. Open the faucet served by the frozen pipe to take the pressure off the pipe.

Check the pipe to see if it is obviously cracked or split. If so, you will probably want to call a plumber to minimize damage when the frozen pipe thaws and begins gushing water.

To thaw the pipe, work from the faucet toward the frozen area.

DO NOT use a blowtorch or other open flame to thaw a pipe! Many people have accidentally caused fires that cause more damage than a burst pipe.

You can use a hair dryer, space heater, or rags or towels wrapped around the pipe with hot water poured onto them from a teakettle. If you use a hairdryer, remember that the motor will burn out if you run it continuously for long periods. Run it for 5-10 minutes, then turn if off to let the motor cool.