LEGISLATIVE GENERAL COUNSEL H.B. 401
6 Approved for Filing: P. Owen 6
6 01-26-24 8:08 AM 6
1 WATER USAGE AMENDMENTS
2 2024 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Doug Owens
5 Senate Sponsor: ____________
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill addresses the irrigating of lawn or turf.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 < defines terms;
13 < addresses the irrigating of lawn or turf in specified counties during a restricted
14 period;
15 < imposes fines for an infraction;
16 < provides exceptions;
17 < addresses scope of provision; and
18 < requires a good faith estimate of water savings.
19 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
20 None
21 Other Special Clauses:
22 None
23 Utah Code Sections Affected:
24 ENACTS:
25 76-10-205, Utah Code Annotated 1953
H.B. 401
26
27 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
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28 Section 1. Section 76-10-205 is enacted to read:
29 76-10-205. Irrigating lawn or turf during restricted period for relevant counties in
30 the Great Salt Lake watershed.
31 (1) As used in this section:
32 (a) "Division" means the Division of Water Resources created in Section 73-10-18.
33 (b) "Lawn or turf" means areas of nonagricultural land planted with mowed or
34 managed grasses.
35 (c) "Relevant county" means one of the following counties:
36 (i) Box Elder County;
37 (ii) Cache County;
38 (iii) Davis County;
39 (iv) Morgan County;
40 (v) Rich County;
41 (vi) Salt Lake County;
42 (vii) Summit County;
43 (viii) Tooele County;
44 (ix) Utah County;
45 (x) Wasatch County; or
46 (xi) Weber County.
47 (d) "Restricted period" means the period of time that begins on October 1 and ends on
48 April 30.
49 (2) Except as provided in Subsection (4), an actor may not irrigate lawn or turf located
50 in a relevant county during the restricted period.
51 (3) A violation of Subsection (2) is an infraction with a fine of:
52 (a) not less than $50 for a violation; or
53 (b) not less than $100 for a second or subsequent violation within the same calendar
54 year as a previous violation of Subsection (2).
55 (4) A person may irrigate lawn or turf during a restricted period:
56 (a) for a reasonable period after new sod has been laid or new grass seed germinates;
57 (b) during the supervised operation, testing, or repair of an irrigation system; or
58 (c) as part of an agricultural, commercial, or other business operation in which the
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59 production or use of lawn or turf is an essential component of the operation.
60 (5) Nothing in this section prohibits:
61 (a) a municipality from imposing or assessing a civil penalty in accordance with a
62 municipal ordinance regulating the irrigation of lawn or turf; or
63 (b) a water provider from assessing or imposing a charge, fee, penalty, or other
64 consequence against a customer for:
65 (i) the use of water to irrigate lawn or turf during a time period for which the water
66 provider adopts a restriction on irrigation; or
67 (ii) the violation of another condition or term of service adopted by the water provider
68 that is applicable to the irrigation of lawn or turf.
69 (6) Beginning no later than July 1, 2025, the division shall annually make a good faith
70 estimate of the amount of water saved by persons not irrigating lawn or turf during a restricted
71 period and publish that amount on a public website.
72 Section 2. Effective date.
73 This bill takes effect on May 1, 2024.
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