Latest news with #PublicUtilities
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Salt Lake City faces soaring water demand and officials urge conservation as summer nears
SALT LAKE CITY () — The Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities is seeing a sharp rise in water demand and officials are urging people to conserve especially as summer approaches. Watering our lawns is costing us. 'It is a little bit worrying that it was so early in the season,' Laura Briefer, Director of Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, said. Water use across the Salt Lake City water system is up 5% from the last three years and outdoor watering is up 10%. 'Usually, we would see the type of water demand on this kind of system that we're seeing right now in the middle of July, and that's when it becomes a lot warmer and people are watering a lot more,' Briefer said. Salt Lake's system serves nearly 400,000 people in the city and nearby areas like Millcreek, Holladay, and Cottonwood Heights. Even though the snowpack was average this year, Briefer said, 'The runoff we have experienced from that snowpack is less than average so it's less efficient.' Carp chaos at Utah Lake as carp overpopulation becomes serious problem Traditional grass lawns aren't efficient either. They are part of the problem. 'It uses a high amount of water and most people in Utah overwater their lawn already, so we are using an excessive amount of water on our landscape,' Heidi King, Water Conservation Coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources said. While some people rip out the grass and replace it with rock and stone, King said, 'It does increase the ambient temperatures in surrounding areas, and what happens is there's an increase in evaporation in our waterways as well as a higher evapotranspiration rate in the nearby plants, so those plants need more water to sustain themselves.' Instead, King recommends a concept called 'local scaping.' It is an idea that originated in Utah, focusing on landscaping with native plants instead of turf. 'It's designed so that it looks sharp and clean. It's not used in excess space, instead, we use waterwise plants like what's behind me in place of all that extra grass, and it uses a lot less water up to 70% less water,' King said, gesturing to the plants behind her. City officials don't discourage grass but urge you to use it only where it makes sense. Salt Lake City faces soaring water demand and officials urge conservation as summer nears Salt Lake City Police Department uncovers suspicious activity at five massage businesses in Ballpark neighborhood Dangers of leaving children in hot cars and the law that protects good Samaritans Catholic Community Services calls for unity following 'hate crime' at Salt Lake City mosque Utah man pleads guilty to attempting to hire hitman while behind bars in 2020 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
City recognizes water keepers
Lenoir mayor Joe Gibbons, on behalf of city council, proclaimed May 410 as Celebrate Drinking Water Week in Lenoir. He presented the proclamation to Public Utilities Director Jeff Church last month. The week highlighted the importance of healthy drinking water. It was also a chance to recognize the professionals who keep our water flowing around the clock. In 2024, the public utilities department staff treated 2.2 billion gallons of water. The City of Lenoir provides clean drinking water to customers in Lenoir and Hudson. The City also sells water to Baton Water Corporation, Caldwell County, and the Town of Sawmills.
Axios
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Pike Place Market restricts car access in new pilot
Starting Wednesday, most vehicles will no longer be able to drive through the heart of Pike Place Market during the daytime — part of a temporary experiment restricting car traffic at the busy Seattle tourist attraction. Why it matters: For years, some Seattle residents and politicians have sought to limit driving on the street through the famous market, noting the danger of collisions between cars and pedestrians (which have been known to happen). Zoom in: The new policy will restrict rideshare vehicles and general visitor traffic from entering the market at First Avenue and Pike Street from 8am-6pm, the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority said in a news release. During those hours, commercial delivery vehicles will still be allowed to enter and drive along Pike Place, the main thoroughfare that runs through the market, the market authority said. So will emergency vehicles and ADA-permitted vehicles. Business loading and unloading will still be allowed, as will customer curbside pickups for orders made in advance. How it works: Beginning Wednesday, flaggers will be posted at the market entrance at First Avenue and Pike Street from 8am to 6pm to help enforce the limited access rules. From 6am to 6pm, no long-term parking will be allowed on Pike Place from Pike Street to Virginia Street, except for ADA-permitted vehicles, according to the market authority's website. Overnight parking along Pike Place will be banned from 2am to 6am. What they're saying: The changes "will make it more inviting and comfortable than ever for residents and visitors to walk around our cherished Pike Place Market," Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a written statement. Between the lines: The change in traffic rules coincides with construction that has narrowed the walkable area through the market — particularly at the corner of Stewart Street, where Public Utilities is reinstalling cobblestone and historic bricks after completing a sewer repair project. That construction is expected to conclude around the end of July. Yes, but:"There's no set end date" for the pilot project that limits car traffic in the area, Madison Douglas, spokesperson for the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA), told Axios. "We're using this time to test and learn," Douglas wrote in an email. "The PDA and our partners are working together to develop a comprehensive street management plan based on what proves effective — and what doesn't." What's next: By the end of the year, market officials hope to have "a clear roadmap" for how to move forward, Douglas said.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Utahns might need to show ID in order to download apps
Lawmakers on Utah's Capitol Hill advanced a bill that would require digital app stores to verify the ages of users in an effort to protect underage Utahns from accessing potentially harmful content and having personal data collected by apps. The bill is similar to the state's previous attempts to require age verification on social media platforms, though several opponents said the bill opens kids and families to even more invasive data collection while potentially violating constitutional free speech protections. Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, presented his proposal to the Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Committee Tuesday, comparing app privacy agreements to car rental agreements — saying most parents would never allow their children to sign agreements with a car rental company. "You would never let your child or your grandchild enter into a legally binding contract, and yet, we parents are doing this every day by allowing our children to carry around smartphones with apps that can be easily downloaded," he said. Weiler's SB142 — also known as the App Store Accountability Act — is similar to a federal piece of legislation introduced last year by Utah Sen. Mike Lee. It requires app stores, such as the Apple's iTunes or Google's Play, to verify the ages of users and sort them into one of several categories: children under age 13, younger teenagers between ages 13-15, older teenagers aged 16 and 17, and adults. If a minor in Utah tries to create an account with an app store, Weiler's bill would require that they associate with a parent account before being allowed to download apps or make in-app purchases. The bill prevents app store providers from entering contracts with minors without parental consent and requires app developers to enforce any age restrictions on their apps. The proposal requires the state Division of Consumer Protection to create standards for age verification and allows parents of harmed minors to sue over violations of the bill. Several members of the public spoke for and against the proposal — including three teenage girls who shared personal experiences with social media use. Rachel Williams, 16, spoke in favor of the bill, saying her parents closely monitor her phone. "Unlike other kids, I don't mind. It keeps me safe," she said. Some opponents, however, said the bill could prompt lawsuits over freedom of speech rights. David McGarry, with the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said requiring age verification "would create acute privacy-related dangers for children," adding that he believes the measure is unconstitutional. He said it violates the First Amendment, particularly the "rights of adult users forced to submit sensitive personal data as a precondition to accessing constitutionally protected speech online." Amaya Mueller, with the Utah-based Sutherland Institute, disagreed, sayingt the bill "empowers parents" without restricting free speech. "This bill does not prohibit app developers from creating content," she said. "This bill would simply prohibit app stores from giving children free reign access to potentially harmful app downloads," Mueller said. Weiler said he doesn't believe his bill is "any less constitutional than asking for an ID at a 7-Eleven when you buy a six-pack of bear." None of the app stores or social media platforms directly impacted by the bill addressed the committee, but several tech industry groups weighed in, including NetChoice, a trade association that has sued Utah over its social media regulations. Justin Hill, a representative of NetChoice, argued against SB142, saying there are already other tools for parents to monitor and regulate their children's app usage. Caleb Williamson, with the App Association, also spoke against the bill, saying it would potentially harm small businesses that develop apps because they will have to navigate the new regulations imposed by the state. The App Association receives a majority of its funds from Apple, which operates one of the two most popular app stores, per Bloomberg. State lawmakers have been focused on mitigating the alleged harms of social media platforms on minors for several years, and have made efforts to require that social media platforms check the ages of users and turn on parental controls for underage users. Large social media platforms have largely been resistant to Utah's efforts, but Meta — the owner of Facebook and Instagram — has lobbied to shift age verification responsibilities to the app stores themselves, according to the Washington Post. Supporters of app store verification argue it evens the playing field for all apps that might have age-restricted material and the approach is thought to be a way around free speech issues raised by other social media laws. In a Deseret News op-ed published Monday, Weiler and several co-authors alleged that app stores "routinely treat kids like adults, steering them into accepting exploitative terms of service with billion-dollar corporations," which they said can potentially "give apps sweeping access to personal data — photos, contact lists, exact locations, even microphones and cameras — all without meaningful consent or oversight." SB142 cleared the committee with unanimous support and now heads to the Senate floor for consideration.
