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Hey Arizonans! Do you reside in the City of Peoria? Did you know that you can take advantage of such things as rebates on High-Efficiency Toilets, Irrigation Controllers, Hot Water Recirculators and Xeriscape landscaping? Talk about savings for you and for the environment!

Watch this interview by Andy Lombardo, one of our Regional Water Partners from the City of Peoria, to learn more about those rebates and other things you can do to conserve water inside and outside of the home.

Before the heat sets in, don’t forget Water Saving Tip #41: Remember to check your sprinkler system valves periodically for leaks and keep the heads in good shape.

Thankfully, the Town of Queen Creek has a class that will help you identify water wasting problems in your drip irrigation system! Join them Saturday, April 14^th, 9am – 12pm at the Queen Creek Library/Zane Grey Room, 21802 S. Ellsworth Rd., Queen Creek.

This workshop is free to Queen Creek residents, but you must register. Email connie.speelman@queencreek.org or call the water conservation office at 480-358-3455.

The Town of Queen Creek is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, many of whom offer water-wise workshops. Check out all of the partner programs at the Water – Use It Wisely calendar on our home page.

Did you know Water Awareness Month is coming up? For the month of April, stay tuned to this interactive calendar at waterawarenessmonth.com for ways to save water and plenty of links and resources!

Our very own Donna DiFrancesco, Conservation Specialist from the City of Mesa, was featured in April’s Phoenix Home and Garden magazine giving some information about what people can do for Water Awareness Month! Check it out!

Dave Mohan is ready to fix some leaks with his prizes that also included a Lowe’s gift card.

Ten year old Dave Mohan from Phoenix shows off his winning prizes including a pipe wrench and a medal at Saturday’s Fix a Leak Week. He won 2^nd place in his age group. Dave attributes his winning to good training, healthy eating and the lucky temporary tattoo he received at the Water – Use It Wisely booth prior to the race (OK, we might have added that last part).

Water – Use It Wisely passed out goodie bags to all participants who attended the race and family festival at the March 10th event.

If you missed the race, there’s still plenty of time to celebrate Fix a Leak Week which officially runs from March 12 – 18. This special week challenges homeowners and businesses to take steps to identify and repair leaks that waste water and money.

Then again, who needs a special week? It’s important to fix leaks anytime you discover one… which reminds me of Water Saving Device #89, YOUR EARS! Listen for dripping faucets and running toilets. Fixing a leak can save 300 gallons a month or more.

Be sure to learn about our other 100+ ways to conserve water.

At Water – Use It Wisely, we are proud to see that our website is the top-ranked site for popular search terms such as “water conservation” and “water saving tips,” but did you know that a single query on Google consumes a tenth of a teaspoon of water?

Image courtesy of Argonne National Library

Just when you thought that saving water was as easy as turning off the water when brushing your teeth, experts are trying to get another point across to consumers… saving energy can also save water! The electrical power industry is one of the largest users of water in the United States. However, we can’t forget that the opposite is true too… that the delivery and treatment of water also consumes a lot of energy (see Arizona examples below).

This estimate of water use for data centers such as Google is noted by Liew Yien Phin, from Black & Veatch, a global environmental engineering firm. Check out his fascinating blog, The Nexus of Water and Energy, where he discusses the serious implications of this relationship.

Perhaps Water – Use It Wisely should add a new water saving device to our lineup…. Water Saving Device # 113, A Dictionary. Next time you need the definition of a word pull your dictionary off the shelf instead and save a tenth of a teaspoon of water every time. But since you’re already on our page, be sure to learn about our other 100+ ways to conserve water.

Arizona Examples of the Water – Energy Nexus

Water Needed for Energy: Did you know that our local Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station uses 50 to 80 million gallons of water each day to meet its cooling needs? Fortunately, almost all of it is effluent (treated sewage) from several nearby municipalities.

Energy Needed for Water: Have you followed the controversy of the Navajo Generating Station coal-fired plant in northern Arizona? The EPA and conservationists are concerned about environmental impacts from emissions, especially since the plant is located near National Parks, monuments and wilderness areas. Power from the plant is needed to deliver Colorado River water through the Central Arizona Project system that delivers the water to the state’s more populated areas.

You can promote your own contribution to smart water use and management by advertising on WaterUseItWisely.com, the number one water conservation website on the internet. If you’re interested in being a guest blogger, contact us.

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.

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!

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:

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!

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: