With the arrival of April, we celebrate Water Awareness Month, a perfect opportunity to learn more about water management and the importance of conservation in Arizona.
In Arizona, it’s essential to understand water and realize that our daily choices affect our collective future, especially in our desert climate. That is why being more water aware will ensure we continue building the foundation for sustainable growth and a thriving economy while embracing a water-efficient lifestyle.
Responsible water management is critical to our resiliency.
We live in the desert, so extreme heat, limited precipitation, and stressed water supplies like the Colorado River are not unexpected. That is why the cities methodically plan years in advance, enabling us to weather times of prolonged drought and face shortages with confidence.
Wise water use is a vital part of that long-term planning in the desert – the well-being of our local communities and economy depends on it. For decades, the cities have invested in building diverse water portfolios, underground water storage, infrastructure, and conservation programs. That effective water management and efficient water use are why the AMWUA cities utilize only 11 percent of Arizona’s water despite servicing more than half of the State’s population.
Water fuels our economy, and sound water management has ensured our success as a State, yet those efforts are far from over. Water providers are constantly working on the next phase of their planning efforts to provide safe, reliable, and sustainable water supplies for today and the future.
Conservation safeguards our water now and for future generations.
With growing pressures on our water, embracing water conservation has never been more crucial than it is now. Being efficient with the water we have is up to all of us, and being smarter with how we use it is important. A collective commitment to using water responsibly must exist across the entire State – residential, municipal, commercial, industrial, and agricultural. Together we can safeguard our water supplies.
Most people aren’t aware that Arizona has mandated conservation in the State’s most populated areas for over 40 years. Water providers, industrial water users, and agriculture must meter all connections, report their water use annually, and achieve increasingly rigorous conservation requirements.
To meet those requirements and fulfill their own long-term water management goals, the AMWUA cities collectively implement more than 300 best management practices. For more than 35 years, the AMWUA cities and partners have worked together to build shared conservation resources and programs. Each city has dedicated conservation staff and rebates, resources, and programs tailored specifically to provide valuable information, tools, and assistance to help everyone use water wisely. These conservation programs have ensured residents and businesses have the tools and knowledge to be efficient with water use – indoors and out.
We can all make a difference by being more water aware and making small changes every single day. After all, the availability and quality of our water supply are critical to our quality of life and our State’s sustainability.
If you’re looking for more ways to be water aware check out these pages next:
- 100+ Ways to Conserve Water
- Learn How to Save Water Outdoors
- Visit Your Local Xeriscape Demonstration Garden
The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) and water conservation partners from around the State, like the AMWUA cities, celebrate Water Awareness Month (WAM) every April. The WAM website is “overflowing” with ideas and activities to help you learn more about water conservation and become more aware of our State’s most precious resource, water.
This blog was originally posted on amwua.org in April 2022. For 50 years, Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA) has worked to protect its member cities’ ability to provide assured, safe and sustainable water supplies to their communities. For more water information visit www.amwua.org.