Water - Use It Wisely » Articles

Arizona Republic Opinion Piece Resonates!

Donna DiFrancesco, City of Mesa — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:39:33 +0000

Water – Use It Wisely partners were pleased to see a Jan. 1, 2012 opinion piece in The Arizona Republic that included a challenge to look at our Arizona assets and figure out how to maximize them for the New Year. The list includes our “water supplies” and our “striking desert plants” amongst many of our other great Arizona resources. We couldn’t agree more! Check out our Water Saving Tip #61. Did you know that each low-water-use plant can save you up to 550 gallons a year?

Hundreds of desert plants are available for just about any function in your landscape. Would you like to attract birds or butterflies to your yard? Desert plants are up for the challenge! Perhaps you are looking for year-round color, or how about a living fence or a cool, shady retreat? And desert plants not only save water, a precious Arizona resource, they have special characteristics that help them thrive in our tough desert conditions including heat, alkaline soils and even winter frost.

The Water – Use It Wisely site is filled with plant details including plant selection ideas, plant care and watering details. And if you have a water-thirsty landscape, we’ll tell you how to remove grass and install a water-saving, colorful, thriving Xeriscape instead. After all, there are a number of ways to save water and they all start with you. Water. Use It Wisely.

Look for the WaterSense Seal of Approval!

Donna DiFrancesco, City of Mesa — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:24:36 +0000

December marks the time of the year when we start to focus on our homes, family gatherings and holiday gift giving. So consider purchasing a meaningful gift that literally keeps on giving by reducing water bills month after month. How do you find and select the best water-efficient products that can help your wallet and the environment? You might think to start with consumer reviews or a consumer magazine, but EPA has made your shopping even easier with their WaterSense Label program.

WaterSense labeled products are backed by independent third party testing and certification, and meet EPA’s specifications for water efficiency and performance. When you use WaterSense labeled products in your home or business, you can expect exceptional performance, savings on your water bills, and assurance that you are saving water for future generations.

Sure, a WaterSense labeled toilet might not be the most romantic gift, but how about a bathroom mini-makeover? A new WaterSense labeled showerhead means water savings, good performance, and it will save you on your hot water energy bills, too. And, how about a WaterSense labeled weather-based irrigation timer for the man who has everything… but that?

Water – Use It Wisely offers links to WaterSense and many other helpful agencies to help you save water. Check out our Links and Resources page for details. Happy Holidays!

WUIW on TV: Adjust Your Irrigation Timer

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 23:05:07 +0000

Here’s a great water saving tip: adjust your irrigation timer when the seasons change. Connie Speelman, from the Town of Queen Creek, one of our Arizona Regional Campaign Partners, explains to us that with cooler weather and lower evaporation rates, dialing your timer back is a good idea.

For more information, watch her interview on “Your Life A to Z” on local Channel 3:

WUIW on TV: Container Gardening

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:42:57 +0000

What is container gardening? Raymond Rees, from the Town of Fountain Hills, otherwise known as one of our Arizona Regional Campaign Partners, tells us about how containers that we have lying around the house can be used to house plants that will accent your home, yard, balcony or anywhere you’d like to add a little pizzazz with plants.

Here is his interview on “Your Life A to Z” on local Channel 3 where you can learn more:

Stay tuned for the next segment of Water – Use It Wisely on TV!

WUIW on TV: Paradise Valley Xeriscape Demonstration Garden

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:41:07 +0000

Join us for another interview on “Your Life A to Z” on Arizona’s local Channel 3 to learn more about the Paradise Valley Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. Jake Lenderking and Sally Ceccerelli-Wolf from our Regional Partner, Arizona American Water, tell us about how a demonstration garden can help someone who is planting in their yard choose low water-use plants to beautify their landscaping. The demonstration garden has all sorts of different native plants that will grow and blossom with the seasons, and people can come take a look and get an idea of what their yard will look like if they chose a specific plant.

Furthermore, since up to 70% of your water use is outdoors, choosing a xeriscape landscape for your yard can help you conserve water and save on your utility bills.

Watch the interview on “Your Life A to Z” on local Channel 3 here:

WUIW on TV: Fall Planting With Color

admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:23:56 +0000

Fall planting season is here! Leeann Spahos, from the City of Peoria (one of our Arizona Regional Partners), discusses the advantages of planting in the fall season and the types of low water-use plants that you can add to your landscaping easily and that will offer lots of attractive color to your yard.

Watch her interview on “Your Life A to Z” on local Channel 3 here:

Stay tuned for the next segment of Water – Use It Wisely on TV!

Beautiful Desert Plants Work in Containers Too!

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:59:47 +0000

As the weather changes in November, Arizonans get out and enjoy the cooler temperatures. Why not take advantage of the weather and give container gardening a try this season? We have some great suggestions about how to select a plant, choose a pot, get the best soil, and water your plants appropriately. Add color to your patios or out in your landscape.

Check out our Water – Use It Wisely “Landscape Care” page for details not only on container gardening, but we also offer information on how to plant, how to program your timer, how to Xeriscape and more! Visit our “Landscape Care” page for knowledge that’ll make you water-wise!

WUIW on TV: Reduce Your Outdoor Water Use

admin — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:52:38 +0000

Did you know that up to 70% of your water use is outdoors?

Water – Use It Wisely is being featured on Arizona’s local Channel 3′s Your Life A to Z with some easy and practical ways to save water. Arizona Regional Campaign Water Partner, the City of Mesa, sent their Conservation Specialist, Donna DiFrancesco, to be interviewed by Lisa Haffner on this special segment on outdoor water use.

Check out the video on our YouTube Channel here:

For more information about landscape care and to see our landscape guides, please click here.

Next week’s segment: Take The Home Water Challenge and Find Those Sneaky Leaks. Stay tuned!

WUIW on TV: Should You Overseed your Lawn?

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:47:20 +0000

This Fall, Water – Use It Wisely is being featured on Arizona’s local Channel 3′s Your Life A to Z with some easy and practical ways to save water. Last Wednesday (09/28) our Arizona Regional Campaign Water Partner, the City of Scottsdale, sent their Water Conservation Specialist, Elisa Klein, to be interviewed by Lisa Haffner. They discussed the water and cost saving advantages of not overseeding your lawn in preparation for the cooler months.

Check out the video on our YouTube Channel here:

For more information about overseeding, read our blog post on the topic here.

Next week’s segment: Reduce Your Outdoor Water Use. Stay tuned!

Three Easy Ways to Reduce Your Outdoor Water Use

Donna DiFrancesco, City of Mesa — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:00:40 +0000

Over half of household water – in some cases up to 70% is used outdoors. That means saving water in your landscape is one of the best and easiest ways to reduce your outdoor water use. We’ve got three great resources to make you the top water miser in the neighborhood:

Photos and plant charts help you with plant selection.

Xeriscape is defined as water efficient, creative landscaping that guides you with seven landscape principles to create a beautiful, healthy and water efficient yard. And, no! It’s not just rocks and cactus. Details can be found in Xeriscape: Landscaping with Style in the Arizona Desert.
Use Water Thrifty Plants like the bold, armored agaves or like the fragrant-flowered acacias. There are hundreds of beautiful low-water-use plants that are available for our region of the Sonoran Desert. Learn more from Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert.
Water Efficiently to reduce your water use by 30-50%. If you’ve used the Xeriscape principles and planted low-water-use plants, it’s even more important to make sure you are watering properly. It is very common by residents and even commercial landscapers to over water desert landscapes. Check out our Landscape Watering by the Numbers: A Guide for the Arizona Desert.

Proper watering techniques are provided for all types of Arizona landscapes.

These resources are all available online, but free booklets are also available. All fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, offer these guides to their water customers. Contact information is available on our partner page.

Our three must-have guides.