South Salt Lake planning staff on Wednesday presented a proposed Water Resource Element for the City’s General Plan 2040, a state-required amendment intended to integrate water conservation into land-use planning.

Jess Shum, a city planner in Community Development, said the update is required by SB 110 (2022) and "will not propose any immediate changes to the municipal code." Shum described four required sections: the effect of permitted development on water demand and infrastructure; methods to reduce water demand for existing development; methods to reduce demand for future development (including full-buildout supply/demand comparisons); and operational opportunities to eliminate water waste.

Shum and staff highlighted that South Salt Lake has decreased per-capita water use by more than 21 percent, citing Public Works data. Staff said the update is intended as guidance to better align future development, code amendments and departmental coordination with state water-conservation targets and to identify potential actions such as additional wells, efficiency measures and partnerships with state water agencies.

Staff stressed the update is intended to guide future code amendments and development review rather than immediately change municipal regulations. Shum said the project is proceeding alongside other city planning work and listed the near-term schedule: a public hearing before the Planning Commission on Nov. 6 and a return to City Council on Nov. 12 with a final document for adoption.

No formal adoption or vote occurred at the work meeting; staff requested council feedback and presented the schedule for regulatory review and public hearings.