Arizona Water Meter
Water supplies in Arizona are already a precious resource. Given estimates that the state will almost double in population over the next 45 years, water supply challenges are only going to become more difficult. Western Resource Advocates supports urban water conservation as a no-regrets strategy to increasing water supplies—one that is often cheaper, faster, and smarter than “traditional” water supply approaches. Maximizing water conservation efforts and programs across the state will allow Arizona to do more with less.
This report highlights the water conservation programs of 15 Arizona communities and evaluates their programs by seven important water conservation criteria: Per Capita Water Use; Water Rate Structures; Conservation Measures; Conservation Ordinances; Funding for Conservation; Water Loss; and Effluent Use.
The communities examined in the report are Buckeye, Casa Grande, Chandler, Clarkdale, Lake Havasu City, Mesa, Payson, Peoria, Phoenix, Prescott, Safford, Scottsdale, Sierra Vista, Tucson, and Yuma. These communities represent a diverse cross-section of municipal water providers, and are varied with respect to size, budget, geographic location, ownership structure, and regulatory program. By presenting a broad sample of current conservation practices, utilities, researchers, policy makers, and local communities can make informed decisions about the possibilities that exist for improvement in their own programs.
