Article in the Arizona Republic
Do your part to curtail water use
Arizona Republic – Article
With all the pools, green lawns and golf courses in the Valley, it's often easy to forget we live in a desert. But the past four years on the Salt and Verde rivers have been drier than the drought of 1899-1902, and the Salt River reservoirs are down to 26 percent of capacity.
Recent rainstorms may have been a welcome change and even helped your lawn look better, but they didn't solve Arizona's drought problem.
Not even close.
In fact, it would take substantial rain and snow in the mountains between now and next spring to really make a difference. Since this is unlikely, we need to make some changes in how we use water.
The Salt River Project Board of Directors has voted to reduce total water deliveries to Valley cities by one-third in January. This means the city will rely primarily on more expensive Central Arizona Project water to help make up the difference. Phoenix isn't waiting until January to cut back on its water usage, however, and has already begun aggressively addressing the water shortage with its drought-management plan.
Taking the lead in conserving water now, City Manager Frank Fairbanks formed a Drought Advisory Task Force that asks city departments to reduce water use by 5 percent. The city has turned off decorative fountains, reduced irrigation schedules at parks and switched most watering to evening. The Water Services Department also is developing a plan to reduce its turnaround time for fixing leaks from seven days to five days.
The city's Drought Management Plan, which was developed in 1990 and updated in 2000, has four stages of action. The City Council Natural Resources Subcommittee approved Stage I of the plan, hich will go in effect when the SRP reductions take place in January. Stage I calls for mandatory city of Phoenix restrictions and voluntary water conservation by Phoenix residents. The city will significantly increase its messages to the public to increase awareness of effective and easy conservation measures.
I invite all Valley residents to join Phoenix in demonstrating good citizenship by conserving water. There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you. With some simple changes to your routine, you can make a difference by doing the following:
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Check your water meter and bill to track your water usage.
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Turn off water while you brush your teeth and save up to 4 gallons a minute. (That's 200 gallons a week for a family of four.) Also, turn off the water when you shave. It saves both water and power for heating that water.
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Don't water your lawn when it's raining or immediately after a rainstorm.
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When you do your fall planting, consider replacing some of your grass with a low-water-use plant for year-round landscape color.
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Pass on growing a winter lawn this year. Save water, and you don't have to mow it.
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Listen for dripping faucets and toilets that seem to flush themselves. Fixing
a leak can save 500 gallons each month.
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Report water main leaks on streets by calling (602) 262-6251.
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You can learn more water-saving tips and drought and water-conservation information and plans at
www.water useitwisely.com or www .phoenix.gov, or e-mail conservation@phoenix.gov. Share these tips with your friends and family.
A few rainstorms don't make a dent in the drought, but you can. Remember, we live in the desert. Use water wisely.
Claude Mattox is vice mayor of Phoenix and chairman of the City Council Natural Resources Subcommittee.
