Conserving Is A Long-Term Process

John Salzarulo

PHOENIX, AZ - Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage for 2022 reinforces the importance of responsible water management. Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA) understands that the Colorado River faces significant challenges, especially within the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation study that shows a hotter and drier future in its August 24-month report.

Arizona residents have embraced water conservation and efficiency as part of their lifestyles. Conserving water by itself will not solve water challenges, but integrating conservation into residents' daily lives will help us better handle droughts and shortages. Just as it always has been, this behavior will be crucial to resiliency.

Arizona has been proactive in developing a water conservation culture for decades because the people of Arizona know they live in an arid state. Conservation has been mandatory in the most populated areas of the state since the early 1980s. In order to achieve per capita targets and conserving water requirements, water providers have had to meet more and more rigorous requirements. Tucson and Phoenix water providers have even exceeded these targets. AMWUA cities have 100-year Assured Water Supply Designations from the State, which include these conservation requirements. As a result, the state can ensure a reliable water supply to support responsible growth.

Together, AMWUA cities have implemented 300 practices and enacted ordinances to reduce water consumption indoors and outdoors for the residential and non-residential sectors. AMWUA cities focus on regulating low-water-use landscaping, limiting grass (turf), and prohibiting water waste in addition to meeting State mandates. Cities have benefited from these regulations by conserving water. Water conservation programs have also been developed by AMWUA cities to help their residents and businesses conserve water.

Since 1994, Arizona has required low-water-use plumbing fixtures in new construction and replacements to increase indoor water efficiency. This was before the Federal government adopted it. In the process, water-saving technologies have been developed and promoted which use less water without changing the behavior of the user. New construction and replacement of existing fixtures and appliances also included the installation of 2.5 gallons-per-minute faucets, 1.6 gallons-per-flush toilets, and other water-efficient fixtures and appliances.

From the early 1980s onwards, irrigated medians, rights-of-way, and outdoor landscaping require only low-water-use plants from the Phoenix area Regulatory Plant List. Turf has been banned ever since. AMWUA developed a regulatory list of plants that can survive in our rough environment with very little water in cooperation with the State and other conservation professionals. Residents, businesses, and the green industry across the Valley rely on this plant list, which is incorporated into municipal codes, followed by HOAs, and widely accepted. Desert landscapes utilizing low-water plants have become popular due to the low-water plant list.

Together, conservation efforts will increase resilience in challenging times. It is important to remember that water is precious in the desert. Therefore, conservation is crucial and makes a real difference.

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