Water Conservation

American Fork City is committed to water conservation. On this page, you will find educational resources to aid in your water conservation efforts. 

drinking water is ground sourced, landscaping water is surface sourced

Where does our water come from?

Water for our city comes from several sources. Indoor (culinary) water comes from ground water (aquifer, wells, springs). It is treated to ensure it is safe to drink and use in our households. Read more about culinary water here.

Outdoor water, for our pressurized irrigation system, is a blend of surface water from the American Fork River and water rights that are purchased from the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. It is screened but not treated in any way and as such is not suitable as drinking water. Residents should take the same precautions with this water as they would with any irrigation water that may contain bacteria regularly found in rivers and streams. Read more about secondary water here. 

Why do we need to conserve water?

Water is a limited natural resource that we all use on a daily basis. The more we use now, the less remains for the future.

Every year, our water usage is greater than the reserves. Our over-usage contributes to our water resource diminishing each year without getting replenished for future use. If we keep on the current rate of water usage, we will actually run out of water!

What is AF doing to manage our water resources?

We want to be mindful of the water we use. We have a water management team that tracks usage and gives recommendations to help us stay within our limits. Culinary water is metered and charged as a per usage rate to all residents and businesses in our city. Outdoor water is currently unmetered, with little ability to track a per usage rate. The State Mandate to meter secondary water sources requires that we install meters on all pressurized irrigation connections in our city by 2030. Metering water usage is expected to reward those who use best water practices.

Since April 2019, we have been installing water meters on all culinary and P.I. connections for new construction. Beginning in 2022, American Fork began installing a pressurized irrigation water meter on all existing P.I. connections in the city. The project will take several years to complete. More information can be found at the Pressurized Irrigation Meter Installation Project page here.

We are also asking all users to reduce their overall water consumption: reduce watering by 33%, or only two days a week, instead of three. Refer to the water schedule on our pressurized irrigation water page. 

You might see some sprinklers being tested at city parks. We have installed new smart clocks on the sprinkler systems and will be testing that they work properly across the thousands of sprinkler heads we maintain. We are still following our own advice to reduce watering by 33%.

Mayor Brad Frost wrote an article in the AF City newsletter about water usage and growth in American Fork. Read it here.

What can you do to help?

Everyone who uses water can make a difference by being aware of their water usage. It is our hope that as we all see the rate of our water consumption compared to the recommended amounts, we will make the necessary changes in our behavior to conserve more water. Your active stewardship over your own usage is the best way you can help make a difference. There are several water conservation resources available with tips on how to slow the flow and use water in a more responsible way. 

Resources