Citizens’ Attitudes About Water Require Policy Change, WSU Study Finds

OGDEN, Utah — As part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to study water usage in Utah, Weber State University students found residents don’t appreciate the true value of water.
 
Following a four-month study of Weber County water users, the study concluded the county must increase the price of water in order for citizens to acknowledge water scarcity and decrease usage.
 
Eight students in an urban government course, taught by political science associate professor Gary Johnson, gathered data from 251 citizens regarding their attitudes about water quality, availability, storage, pricing and future reserves in Weber County.
 
“We found statistical evidence that there is room for a policy change,” Johnson said. “Water needs to go up in price. Residents pay so little for water, they don’t appreciate its value. We need to come up with water policies that make sense and plan for the future.”
 
The $20,000 NSF grant to WSU was part of a $20 million NSF grant to study Utah water policy.  WSU students are working in conjunction with groups from Utah State University, University of Utah, Southern Utah University and a variety of other state institutions. This initiative is known as iUTAH.
 
Johnson said Utah will receive roughly the same amount of moisture that it has averaged over the past 100 years, but because of climate change, there will be more rain and less snowfall. Without a steady snowpack, Utahns will have a less reliable water source in summer months because rainwater is more difficult to collect in reservoirs and doesn’t last as long into the summer.
 
As noted in the report, Utah residents pay less for water than those in most states. In Weber County, residents pay a base rate of $19.65 for water and another $1.69 per 1,000 gallons used from 0-6,000 gallons per month. This rate increases to $2.58 for usage from 6,001-42,000 gallons. Johnson said such inexpensive rates for such a large volume leads residents to believe there is an abundance of water.
 
“The most important thing would be to have a pro-rated water pricing system,” he said. “Right now, there is nothing in the policy that incentivizes the individual to use water wisely and conservatively. Price increases will change behavior.”
 
Johnson foresees future water restrictions similar to those enacted in California. He believes officials in western states will have to implement comparable policies if residents don’t limit consumption.
 
Weber County households use an average of 150 gallons of water a day. Johnson says it would be easy to cut that in half without drastic behavior changes.
 
“You just turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth,” he said. “You take a five-minute shower instead of a 20-minute shower; you don’t water the lawn when it’s raining. If everyone conserves 30 percent, our water storage problems are gone.”
 
Students in the urban government course included Dallin Cottle, Brady Earl, Jordan Hatch, Julie Ikeda, Joshua Redhair, Rogelio Rodriguez, Alexxis Smith and Elizabeth Warren.
 
“It is wonderful that our state has had the opportunity to receive a grant from the National Science Foundation and that our university is able to participate,” Johnson said. “This is an interdisciplinary study. We have worked with both the geography and the sociology departments.”
 
The urban government course was offered in conjunction with WSU’s Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL). The students will finish the final draft of their report during fall semester and submit it to the NSF for further study and policy change.
 
For more information on WSU’s political science department, visit weber.edu/polsc. For more information on CCEL, visit weber.edu/ccel. For more information on iUTAH, visit iutahepscor.org.
 
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. 
      
Author:
Marcus Jensen, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7295 • marcusjensen@weber.edu
Contact:
Gary Johnson, political science associate professor
801-626-6697 • garyjohnson@weber.edu