Tempe residents… This one is for you!
Tempe Water Conservation and Efficiency has rolled out a new program called the Certified Water Efficient Home. Now Tempe residents have the opportunity to self-certify their home and receive a yard sign along with a water conservation kit to display as a symbol of their dedication to saving water.
What does it take to become a Certified Water Efficient Home?
Certified homes have typically installed many water efficient fixtures and have implemented numerous water-saving practices. Among these practices are signing up for Tempe’s WaterSmart Customer Portal, receiving a free water efficiency consultation, attending workshops and maintaining a low-water-use landscape.
Furthermore, residents must register their utility account in Tempe’s WaterSmart Customer Portal, a water management resource available at no additional cost to Tempe water utility customers. The Portal allows residents and businesses to monitor hourly and daily water usage and sign up for leak and high use alerts, an invaluable tool for monitoring water use.
Residents must also have received a one-on-one water consultation with a Water Programs Specialist within the last two years. This service provides personalized water conservation recommendations that are tailored for each customer’s specific needs. Topics covered include but are not limited to outdoor irrigation efficiency, plant care, leak detection, watering practices and rebate program participation.
In addition to utilizing Tempe Water Conservation and Efficiency’s program offerings, residents must implement water saving practices inside the home. For instance, having a high-efficiency, WaterSense labeled toilet in their bathroom(s). Other optional self-certifying practices include the use of WaterSense labeled showerheads and aerators and the use of best practices such as turning off the sink while brushing your teeth.
For outdoor water use, residents that maintain an automated irrigation system must utilize a WaterSense labeled smart irrigation controller. In addition, practices a customer may receive credit for include the use of plants adapted to the Arizona desert, proper pruning techniques, WaterSense labeled spray sprinkler bodies and several other landscape maintenance practices.
Join the water-saving party!
Several residents have already applied to the Certified Water Efficient Home program and received their kits. However, some have gone above and beyond the requirements of the program by utilizing rainwater harvesting techniques and installing graywater systems. To these residents, the pursuit of water efficiency is never quite done.
For more information on Tempe’s Certified Water Efficient Home Program, visit tempe.gov/CertifiedHome.
Andi Couet-Pascoe is a Water Program Specialist with the City of Tempe, AZ, one of eighteen Water – Use It Wisely partners to offer water-saving advice and programs.