On Wednesday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed an executive order for state facilities to start conserving water.
They are expected to hold off on watering lawns between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
“So the hot of the day, we will not be watering here on government properties,” Herbert said. “We have large properties, and I think we can make a significant difference by not only leading by example, but the actual consumption of water by using good water practices.”
The state will take other steps to save water, including upgrading irrigation systems, adding leak-detection devices and replacing inefficient plumbing.
The order comes after a winter with some of the state’s highest recorded temperatures and lowest snowfall.
“The good news is, we’ve had a wetter spring,” Herbert said. “This past May has been, in some places, 400 percent of normal, but it does not make up for what we’ve lost in snowpack.”
Herbert said right now the state has about 75 percent of the precipitation it would normally have.
He said he would like Utahns to start conserving water as well, but that starts with the state government leading by example.