Back in the 1970s about 80 percent of single-family homes had majority-turf landscapes. This sends a direct price signal to customers to scrap the grass and lush landscaping that requires a ton of water to stay alive in our hot summers, and convert to desert-adapted landscaping, called xeriscape, instead. Phoenix charges more for water in the summer than in the winter. Phoenix’s water rate structure, first adopted in the early 1990s, is pretty ingenious. Instead, we want them to use water wisely every day as a lifestyle choice here in our desert city. Odd as it sounds, we don’t want our customers reacting to drought or hydrologic conditions. This culture change in the way people view and use water in Phoenix has been brought about through improvements in technology (water efficient appliances), through decades of extensive education and outreach, and through the use of a strong price signal in our water rates. We did this by focusing on long-term culture change regarding the way people view water in the Valley of the Sun. We effectively have decoupled growth and water use in Phoenix. Our water usage rates have fallen 30 percent in 20 years, which means that we deliver less water today than we did 20 years ago, while serving nearly 400,000 more people. Our supplies include water from the Salt, Verde and Colorado Rivers, and reclaimed wastewater.Ĭonservation is the foundation upon which all of our sustainable water management strategies are based. And we have access to over a trillion gallons of native groundwater, which we fastidiously protect as a savings account for future generations. We’ve also banked water underground that we don’t need today, for availability when shortages of Colorado River water occur. Phoenix has been a leader in the reuse of wastewater for 40 years.
In Phoenix, we’re continuously working on water management, and we’re now bringing water equity into focus as well. At the same time, smart and equitable water management can foster broad opportunity for the entire community. There are complicated tradeoffs between sustainable management of water supplies, conservation, affordability, infrastructure investment and equity. Living in the desert imparts a deep appreciation for the value of water, which has driven the city of Phoenix to methodically manage water supplies for reliability in our desert environment. Phoenix’s water supply is sound and sustainable as a result of multiple water sources and a logical, methodical approach to supply planning, infrastructure management, conservation and drought preparation. In a desert city such as Phoenix, water is the foundation of public health, economic opportunity and quality of life.
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