What does 120 gallons of water look like? It’s one thing to read a number. It’s another to see 120 one-gallon jugs stacked into a towering, 16-foot-tall display!
Meet the Water – Use It Wisely Water Tower, a traveling exhibit that helps Arizonans visualize just how much water we use every day—and discover simple ways to use less.
And this tower gets around! Thanks to the 23 partners behind the Water – Use It Wisely campaign, it travels from community to community, making appearances at libraries, community centers, museums, and even malls across Arizona.
120 Gallons. One Person. One Day
That’s right. The 120 gallons represented by the tower illustrate approximately how much water one person uses in and around their home each day in the Valley.
Where does all that water go? You might be surprised.
Here’s how those 120 gallons break down:
- 65 gallons – Outdoors (landscaping, pools, leaks and more)
- 14 gallons – Toilets
- 13 gallons – Showers and baths
- 11 gallons – Faucets
- 10 gallons – Household cleaning, including clothes washers and dishwashers
- 7 gallons – Other consumption and household uses
More than half of that water goes outdoors! And that’s where many Arizona households have some of their biggest opportunities to save.
Water Wisdom: The tower’s numbers are illustrative estimates based on residential water-use research, including data from the Desert Southwest. Actual water use varies by household, season, landscape and other factors.
Have Tower, Will Travel!
Unlike most water towers, this one doesn’t stay put.
The Water – Use It Wisely campaign is a collaboration of 23 Arizona water providers and organizations that pool their resources, ideas and expertise to make water conservation education more effective.
The Water Tower is one of those shared resources. Rather than each partner creating its own large display, the coalition shares one impressive exhibit that travels to a new location each month.
And moving it is no small task! The tower stands 16 feet tall, stretches 7½ feet wide and contains 120 individual gallon jugs. A professional crew assembles and dismantles the display at each stop.
One month it might greet library visitors. The next, it could spark conversations in the food court at the Chandler Fashion Center mall.
Wherever it goes, the message is the same: Water conservation starts with understanding how we use water—and knowing where we can save.
Where’s the Tower Been? Where’s the Tower Going?
In September, the Water Tower made a stop at Mesa Main Library in Mesa, AZ, giving visitors a larger-than-life look at daily household water use.
Mesa made the most of the tower’s visit by hosting two special events: an Ask the Experts day, where visitors could get answers to their water conservation questions, and a landscape watering workshop to help residents water more efficiently.
Alongside the display, visitors could pick up conservation resources, including the newly updated Landscape Watering by the Numbers: A Guide for the Arizona Desert.
It’s a fitting companion to the tower. After all, when more than half of the water represented in the display goes outdoors, improving landscape watering is a great place to start.
The guide takes the guesswork out of watering with practical, science-based techniques to help you determine how much, how often and how long to water—for healthier plants, lower water bills and less water waste. You can still explore the guide, interactive watering tools and additional resources at WaterUseItWisely.com/HowToWater.
And the tour rolls on! This October, the tower is visiting the Global Water Resources Customer Service Center in Maricopa, with upcoming stops in Buckeye in November and Queen Creek in December.
Big Display. Simple Message.
The Water Tower makes a big impression, but its message is simple: Small changes in how we use water can make a big difference.
Whether it’s adjusting your irrigation schedule, fixing a leak, replacing thirsty grass with water-wise plants or making small changes indoors, every improvement helps.
That’s what the Water Tower Tour is all about: turning a big number into a better understanding of how we use water—and inspiring simple ways to save.
One tower. Twenty-three partners. Countless opportunities to use water wisely. 💧
Explore more water-saving tips and resources at WaterUseItWisely.com
Donna DiFrancesco is a horticulturist and Conservation Coordinator with the City of Mesa, AZ, one of 23 Water– Use It Wisely partners to offer water-saving advice and programs.