Sprinklers are soaking sidewalks in the middle of the day. Water gushing straight into gutters the morning after a storm. This week, those scenes have been flooding local TV stations and social feeds as frustrated Salt Lake–area residents vent that they are cutting back while businesses, churches, and public landscapes keep right on watering. With drought stress deepening, state officials have reopened a report site to collect tips and funnel them to local water suppliers.
Where to report water wasting
The Utah Division of Water Resources runs an online portal where anyone can submit anonymous complaints or give a shout-out for good conservation. The form, listed as "Report Water Waste" on the state's conserve site, automatically forwards reports to the correct local water provider so utilities can investigate and offer fixes or guidance. That same page also links to rebate programs and irrigation resources designed to help people avoid making the same mistakes every watering cycle.
What the state is seeing
The division has been watching the numbers climb this spring. Utahns submitted 831 complaints in 2023, 483 in 2024, 616 in 2025, and 758 so far in 2026, including 60 since May 1, conservation manager Shelby Cooley told FOX 13 News. Many of those tips arrive as short videos showing water streaming off turf, pooling in gutters, or flowing across sidewalks. "Over-water use is definitely an issue and something we can all help with just by reducing our watering," Cooley said.
How reporting works
Filing a report is straightforward. Anyone can fill out the short online form and choose to stay anonymous or leave contact information for follow-up. The Division then routes the tip to the city or water district that serves that property. What happens next depends on the utility. Most start with outreach and education, while places that have water-waste ordinances on the books can issue fines if the problem keeps happening. When FOX 13 News shared a resident's video with the City of West Jordan, the city responded that it would send someone out immediately to check the sprinkler system.
Why this matters
Outdoor irrigation is where a big chunk of household water goes. Roughly 60% of residential water use happens outside, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources. State officials have called for steep cutbacks, and except for Washington County, the agency told FOX 13 News that no one should be doing any outdoor watering right now. The agency's Weekly Lawn Watering Guide shows how often lawns actually need water in each county, and the conserve site lists rebates for smart controllers and other conservation tools that help avoid unnecessary runs.
The Division encourages neighbors to talk to each other first, especially when the problem might be a broken head or a mis-set timer. For those who would rather not knock on a door, the online form offers an anonymous option. As reports pile up this spring, local utilities say the usual result is outreach and repair, not public shaming, although repeat or deliberate violations can still lead to enforcement where local ordinances allow it.
