St George area water supply (St. George, Cedar City: landscaping, to buy, live in)

[slangvel]

How do residents in the area obtain water, is it through public water systems, individual wells etc. Just curious about water sustaining growth. Also thinking about relocating and concerned about water. Thanks for any replies.

[GoOutsideAndPlay]

While I'm no expert on the complex water rights of Utah, here's a basic overview. Keep in mind, southwest Utah is considered high desert and water is a scarce and valuable resource.

If you live in incorporated areas within the St. George area, you will have cullinary water supplied by municipalities. You pay a base rate and for usage, like in most places around the country. This water can be used for personal consumption and for watering your landscaping (grass/bushes/trees). Water is supplied from Sand Hollow, Quail Creek and other reservoirs. Cost for now is reasonable. Sustainability is a question based on growth. You can read about the controversial Lake Powell Pipeline project for more information.

If you plan to buy land and need agricultural irrigation, you must must have water rights (which sometimes come with the property). These rights are measured in acre feet and can be quite valuable depending on where you live. I believe there is a formula or rule of thumb of how many acre feet you need per how/what you plan to irrigate. To build ponds or dig wells, you have to have water rights.

State law also allows you to capture and store up to 200 gallons of rain water on your property without registering and up to 2,500 gallons of rain water if you register.

[slangvel]

Thanks for the reply.

[arizona stallion]

What's the going rate per acre foot?

[GoOutsideAndPlay]

The price is highly dependent upon location and quality. I did a quick search and you can get 5 acre feet near Enoch (Cedar City area) for about $14,000. There's 0.5 acre feet for $30,000 near Rockville, 2 acre feet near New Harmony for $35,000. Couldn't find many. The math from above shows anywhere from $2,800 to $60,000 an acre foot. A more accurate average might be around $20,000 for water in a decent location.