Water Use Rules in Lehi, UT

If you live in Lehi or are thinking about moving there, water use rules are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Lehi has 2 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of water use rules, and some of them might surprise you.

Leak Reporting Duty

Lehi treats an undiscovered or uncorrected leak, break or malfunction in a user's secondary (pressurized irrigation) water plumbing as prohibited waste of water. Users get a presumed 48 hours from discovery, or from city notice, to fix it before it counts as a violation.

Key details: Governing section: Lehi City Code § 9-2C-1. Repair window: 48 hours from discovery or city notice. Applies to: Secondary (pressurized irrigation) water system. Secondary water season: April 15 to October 15. Adopted: Ord. 50-2018; amended Ord. 11-2022.

Violating the waste-of-water prohibition, including failing to correct a leak within the presumed 48-hour window after discovery or city notice, is enforced under § 9-2C-3 and referenced back to the general penalty schedule at § 1-4-1, exposing a water user to a misdemeanor fine and possible imprisonment for continued noncompliance.

Turf Replacement Rebates

New single-family landscapes in Lehi cannot put more than 35% of the total landscaped area into lawn, and new institutional or multi-family landscapes are capped at 20%, with narrow exemptions for small or corner lots.

Key details: Single-family lawn cap: 35% of Total Landscaped Area. Institutional/multi-family cap: 20% of Total Landscaped Area. Commercial/industrial lawn: Barred outside active recreation areas. Minimum lawn width: 8 feet at narrowest point. Small-lot exemption: Under 250 sq ft landscaped area.

Installing new landscaping that exceeds the 35% (single-family) or 20% (institutional/multi-family) lawn cap, or that places lawn in a park strip, on a steep slope, or narrower than 8 feet, violates Section 35.220 and is enforceable as a Class C Misdemeanor under Section 35.210, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to 180 days imprisonment, or both.

The Bottom Line

Lehi's water use rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Lehi is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Lehi's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.