New Campaign Urges Utahns To Keep Water Supply Clean

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – With springtime blossoms and signs of new life everywhere, there are some concerns over the state’s water supply.

The experts at Utah State University launched a new website to spread the message that the Beehive State’s water quality is everyone’s responsibility. However, the name – DontShareUtah.org – might turn some heads.

“The joke is you would never want to share your chewing gum,” said Nancy Mesner with watershed sciences at USU. “You wouldn’t share your mother-in-law’s Facebook page, so let’s not share this, also.”

Sharing isn’t caring in cases where Utahns accidentally share fertilizer, animal waste and other harmful pollutants that enter the water supply after they run off residents’ properties.

It’s not just farmers who are asked to keep track of their water, either. DontShareUtah.org is geared toward anyone with a backyard chicken coop, anyone with a garden, and anyone with a lawn.

“Nobody intends to pollute,” Mesner said. “That’s not our intention. So the idea is to help people basically do the right thing by just some simple modifications and behaviors.”

Utahns can use the website to learn about how they fit into the mission to clean up the state’s water supply. For example, homeowners can take simple steps like using less fertilizer on their lawns. It even has tips on how to store fuel, pesticides and other potentially toxic materials.

For more information, go to DontShareUtah.org.