Water Wasting Reports Flood Utah’s ‘Hall Of Fame Or Shame’ Website

SALT LAKE COUNTY — Two days after Utah leaders encouraged “water shaming” by reporting to the state’s Hall of Fame or Shame website, officials said Thursday that the number of reports had grown exponentially.

Kim Wells, spokesperson for the Utah Division of Water Resources, said since 4 p.m. Tuesday, the site had received 1,087 reports.

By comparison, the same site received 167 reports all of last year. The previous all-time high was set in 2019 at 364 reports.

Wells said the reports are aggregated and then passed on to the different local jurisdictions from which they originated, where additional actions are possible depending on local rules.

Regardless, Wells said officials simply want to get everyone on the same page with conservation efforts amid extreme drought conditions.

In Cottonwood Heights, resident Sandra DePasquale said she xeriscaped her yard years ago because of high water costs.

“I mean, we literally got our first bill and we’re like, ‘This is crazy,’” she said.

DePasquale said she stays “in her lane” and she wasn’t inclined to report on any neighbors because of their water usage, but she did see value in reducing lawn watering.

“You just spend so much money on something you just look at and stand on,” she shrugged.