U.S. Water News Online
SALT LAKE CITY -- The top of Salt Lake City Public Utilities Department's list of residential water users hasn't changed, although the amount has dropped off from 2002.
Insurance mogul Ronald Gunnell's bill for his suburban estate was $12,140 for 7.1 million gallons.
"I didn't realize we were using that much water," Gunnell said.
Gunnell's 40,000-square-foot home sits on 7 acres of landscaping surrounded by 17 acres of horse pasture and woodlands in Holladay.
The Salt Lake Tribune compiled the 12 biggest residential water users of 2003 through records obtained from the Public Utilities Department under the state open-records law.
According to The Tribune, Gunnell topped the list for the third straight year. But his consumption was 24 percent less than the 9 million-plus gallons he consumed in each of the previous two years.
Lisa F. Wirthlin's northeast home in the Avenues was second on the list at 5.6 million gallons. Former Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone, who signed with the Los Angeles Lakers last summer as a free agent but still owns his home here, received more than 3.3 million gallons.
Many of the larger users have dropped considerably. The city adopted a new rate structure last year, basing the billing on "blocks" of water use that increase in price-per-unit.
"Most of these people saw a doubling of their bills last year, and that got their attention," said Jim Lewis, finance administrator for the city utilities department.
With the state mired in another year of drought, officials are asking residents to conserve water. They cite overwatering lawns and gardens as one of the biggest wastes, but can only do so much to discourage it.
"We can't raise our rates just because we feel we have the moral imperative to do so," said city water conservation director Stephanie Duer. "We hope these people will learn to use less."
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