The Planners Role in Urban Water Conservation Philip Stoker
Robin Rothfeder PhD students, City and Metropolitan Planning
University of Utah Stephanie Duer Water Conservation Programs
Manager Salt Lake City Public Utilities
Slide 2
Population Growth * Percent change in population 2010-2013,
U.S. Census Bureau
Slide 3
Drought National Drought Mitigation Center September 23 rd
2014
Slide 4
Water Management and Conservation Goals - meet future demand -
withstand drought - cheaper and less impactful than large water
supply projects State Required Water Conservation Plans (Utah) -
population, and supply forecasts - articulate conservation goal -
articulate implementation plan - required every 5 years Water
Conservation Actions - efficient technology i.e. soil moisture
sensors - education i.e. slow the flow - tiered rates -
demonstration gardens - others
Slide 5
City Planning and Conservation Statewide Initiatives : Envision
Utah: conserve water resources State Water Strategy Advisory Team
Regional Planning : Federal Mandate for MPOs to exist for
transportation planning Municipal Master Plans (Salt Lake City
Central Community) - investigate ways to encourage and reward
conservation water use - ensure that city properties are managed
for efficient water use - serve as an example of water-wise
landscaping - consider policies to promote further conservation and
decrease water waste Municipal Ordinances (Denver Colorado) - duty
of the owner.to maintain vegetation. - prohibit restrictive
covenants requiring turf grasses
Slide 6
What is the planners role in urban water conservation? Can
planners predict water use? How does the design of cities affect
water conservation? Are there planning strategies that can be
employed to aid water conservation?
Slide 7
Predictors of Water Use
Slide 8
People Place Design
Slide 9
Predictors of Water Use Public Utility Data: monthly water use
Tax Assessors Data: lot size, assessed value, number of bathrooms
etc. PRISM Climate Data: precipitation and temperature Remote
Sensing: Calculate turf, canopy, and impervious surface cover.
People Place Design
Slide 10
Databases Salt Lake City Public Utilities : 90,000+ connections
Monthly water use Service type Parcel ID
Slide 11
Databases Tax Assessors Data : 300,000+ parcels Number of
bathrooms, bedrooms, acres, taxed value, lot size Parcel ID
Slide 12
Slide 13
Slide 14
Building the Database 2011 Parcels (GIS) Public Utilities
Assessors Database PRISM Climate Data Unit of Analysis Remote
Sensing
Slide 15
What is the planners role in urban water conservation? Can
planners predict water use? How does the design of cities affect
water conservation? Are there planning strategies that can be
employed to aid water conservation?
Slide 16
Modeling Water Use, Household Scale Stoker and Rothfeder,
2014
Slide 17
Area Median Household Income, 2010 UT Community Data Project
http://weave.ucdp.utah.edu/weave.html?fi
le=HH_Income_SaltLakeCounty.xml
Slide 18
White Population, 2010 UT Community Data Project
http://weave.ucdp.utah.edu/weave.html?fi
le=Race_Ethnic_SaltLakeCounty.xml
Slide 19
Hispanic Population, 2010 UT Community Data Project
http://weave.ucdp.utah.edu/weave.html?fi
le=Race_Ethnic_SaltLakeCounty.xml
Slide 20
Black Population, 2010 UT Community Data Project
http://weave.ucdp.utah.edu/weave.html?fi
le=Race_Ethnic_SaltLakeCounty.xml
Slide 21
Impervious Land Cover
Slide 22
Turfgrass Land Cover
Slide 23
Water Use
Slide 24
Comparison Water Use, by ZIP Code (in gallons) Rothfeder et
al., ACSP, 2014 ZIP Total Annual Water Use Per Capita Water Use
(gpcd) Ave. Monthly Indoor Water Use Ave. Monthly Outdoor Water Use
Median Household Income Total Parcel Value Lot Size (Acres) Turf
Cover (Acres) Turf Fraction 84109
193,126.141195,938.2317,409.62$70,677$445,638.260.2650.094 35.59%
84108 168,835.201055,560.3914,587.21$76,053$399,973.230.2210.072
32.45% 84106
110,814.53664,421.058,251.70$52,978$228,799.220.1600.045 27.93%
84105 104,669.75634,429.757,358.97$59,616$281,849.530.1440.038
26.46% 84102
97,236.85524,914.215,466.62$35,286$220,597.470.1230.029 23.78%
84115 76,437.60344,152.953,800.32$34,433$156,105.510.1260.038
30.19% 84111
74,627.71364,235.173,400.81$26,187$155,077.300.1110.030 26.61%
Slide 25
Modeling Water Use, Census Block Scale Rothfeder et al., ACSP,
2014
Slide 26
What is the planners role in urban water conservation? Can
planners predict water use? How does the design of cities affect
water conservation? Are there planning strategies that can be
employed to aid water conservation?
Slide 27
Water policies and urban growth policies must be better
coordinated to promote more sustainable water use and smarter urban
growth. Planning is the link. Lucero and Tarlock, 2003. p. 804
