Utah ranks 51st among all states and the District of Columbia in per-pupil spending on education. In stark contrast, a new study funded by the Utah Department of Water Resources ranks Utah No. 1 in per-capita use of public water supply, excluding agriculture.
Some of that water is unmetered, but last year the Legislature voted down a bill to gradually phase in metering.
Nevertheless, Utah plans billions of dollars of investment in new water projects. The Lake Powell pipeline would deliver water from the Colorado River system to Washington County — water that, thanks to climate change, may not exist.
The Bear River Project would divert water from the Great Salt Lake to the Wasatch Front, with devastating consequences to lake-dependent industry, birds and recreation. These projects would be financed by state bonds and tax revenues, so we all pay.
Project advocates say water is essential, but do St. George residents “need” nearly three times as much as people in Phoenix?
As someone with no family members who are current students or teachers in Utah schools, I would much rather pay for someone else’s education than for someone else’s green lawn. In this time of pandemic and recession, many of us are reconsidering our values and spending priorities. Our state agencies and legislature need to do the same.
Beth Blattenberger, Salt Lake City
