Once more this summer, Utah has fallen victim to extreme drought conditions. In Salt Lake City, we feel the impact of a drought in many ways: the moisture in our soil decreases, our air quality gets even worse, our local streams and ponds experience low water levels, and the risk for fire is high.

Water conservation is something that everyone in the community can do. We can take small steps that, when added together, will have a big impact on our entire area. Thank you to our partners at SLC Public Utilities for identifying a few things we can all do to easily save water:

It may not seem like much, but when everyone makes a small effort, we can see big changes.

As the pool days and BBQs wind down and the kids get ready to head back to school, it’s a perfect time to revisit how our kids fit in to preparedness planning!  Some key points to consider:

•    Include children in the preparedness discussion
•    Know the emergency plans for your child’s school or daycare
•    Practice emergency and evacuation plans with your whole family regularly
•    Make sure kids have emergency contacts memorized or written down in a safe place
•    Teach kids how and when to call 911
•    Learn the building blocks of preparedness together − Be Informed, Make a Plan, Build a Kit and Get Involved

For more information and tips to help you and your family be prepared for disasters, visit Bereadyslc.gov and Ready.gov.