By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News | Photo courtesy of East Carbon City
The impact of Utah’s ongoing battle against drought has reached East Carbon. In an April 16 proclamation, Mayor David Avery announced limits on the use of culinary water within the city.
“Whereas the City of East Carbon has determined that a scarcity of water exists within the city’s water system,” reads the announcement. “Whereas the city council wish to conserve the water designated for use by East Carbon City as outlined by section 8-1-15 of the East Carbon City Code; Now therefore I, David Avery, Mayor of East Carbon City, do hereby proclaim: The use of sprinklers and all devices for outdoor watering using city and culinary water … are to be used with the following schedule.”
This schedule entails watering even-numbered houses on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and odd-numbered houses on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Watering must take place from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. to midnight.
According to the East Carbon City Code, the mayor has the authority to limit the use of culinary water for all outdoor uses – with an exception for uses essential to the continuance of licensed business ventures within the city.
Violations of this proclamation will result in a class B misdemeanor and a minimum fine of $50. Subsequent violations raise the minimum fine to $250.
“The East Carbon City Council finds this proclamation necessary for the immediate preservation of the peace, health, and safety of the city and the city’s inhabitants,” closes the proclamation.
The order immediately went into effect following its passage. The proclamation will remain in effect until the mayor lifts the limit.
This proclamation was issued a week before Gov. Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency in 17 of Utah’s 29 counties. The Governor’s declaration recommended that impacted areas “consider developing and implementing water restriction plans and take other steps to promote water conservation for the upcoming irrigation season in order to protect drinking water supplies.”