Although conservation alone will not resolve water challenges, having it rooted in our daily actions enables us to better weather drought and shortages. Being water-wise will be critical to our...
When talking about drought, shortage, and water in Arizona, conservation is often mentioned. While we understand the significance and importance of traditional conservation efforts, another form of...
Raging wildfires, an unrelenting record-breaking heatwave, and a drying Colorado River have generated significant concern about our water and our future in the Phoenix metropolitan...
As another anniversary of the 1980 Groundwater Management Act (GMA) passes, the importance of protecting our groundwater remains the same. We recognize that the GMA was a monumental piece of...
The terms drought and shortage are routinely used together when talking about Arizona's hot and arid climate. While both drought and shortage involve a lack of water, their...
The health of the Colorado River has been receiving significant attention with talks of a shortage in 2022. Now with the recent release of the United States Bureau of Reclamation's...
Collaboration among the AMWUA cities results in efficiency and strong water management for the common purpose of safeguarding water supplies in the Valley. The AMWUA cities are ultimately...
Prolonged drought has become our way of life in Arizona. After all, we live in a desert, and drought is a regular part of the long-term weather cycle in our arid climate. So it is not a surprise...
We use water every single day, and that is why it’s important to realize that those daily choices affect our future. With the arrival of April, we celebrate Water Awareness Month, which is...
Life as we know it would be impossible without groundwater. It is the world's most extracted natural resource, and it supports our ecosystems, which is why we can never take groundwater for...
As temperatures begin to soar, many people from the Valley of the Sun will be planning getaways up north to the high country. While enjoying those cooler temperatures outdoors, it is crucial...
Within the next week, the United States Bureau of Reclamation will release a report little-known to those outside the world of water professionals. The report, known as the April 24-Month Study, is...
When you live in a place where drought spans multiple decades, every bit of precipitation receives an enthusiastic welcome, but what does that really mean to our drought status, and what effect...
Later this year, you will have the opportunity to download a free app that will reveal the landscape of the Phoenix Metro area as shaped by the first Sonoran Desert people. The app will feature a...
It’s patio season in the desert and it doesn’t take much to put your winter yard in top form and ready for winter guests. Here are five tips from our cities’ conservation...
The City of Scottsdale operates a water treatment plant that converts raw sewage from the city’s homes and businesses into purified water in less than 12 hours. The Advanced Water Treatment...
Cities keep water flowing into your home and business and whisk away wastewater 24 hours a day – every day. This daily convenience that you and your family take for granted requires cities to...
Arizona is much closer to being able to implement the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan (LBDCP), a plan that requires sacrifices from all water users to prevent far deeper shortages of Colorado...
A piece of sculpture at a public intersection was once considered public art. Things have changed. Public art has become more of an event, such as a community mural designed and painted...
Each time you wash dishes, wash a load of clothes, take a shower or flush a toilet you create wastewater. The wastewater leaves your home and enters your city’s collection system where...
The cities in the Valley of the Sun utilize just over 10 percent of all the water used in Arizona. Through smart planning and investment, these cities supply the water needs of both small...
Did you lose a tree during this past summer’s monsoon season? Trees are a big investment and we grow to love them. We miss their shade and beauty when they are gone. There are ways to help a...
“NIA water” stands for Non-Indian Agriculture water. It is a name assigned to Colorado River water delivered by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) that was originally bought by...
With a little strategy and knowledge, it’s easy to enjoy color in your desert yard all four seasons of the year. The cities of Avondale, Chandler and Glendale are offering free October...
It happens every day, in every city around the country. A firefighter opens a hydrant to stop a fire from spreading. A surgeon washes his or her hands. A hiker turns a spigot to refill her water...
Various races are competing for your attention on the ballot this election season. You know the high-profile races for Governor, the U.S. Congress and the State Legislature. Yet, near the...
The days are getting shorter and the shadows a little deeper. We’re all eager to spend more time outside, including making those changes to our landscape that we’ve been considering all...
Fifty years ago, the cities in the Valley of the Sun applauded when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Colorado River Basin Project Act. The Act authorized federal funding to construct the...
“Next to the air we breathe, water is our most precious resource.” President Lyndon B. Johnson spoke this truth upon signing the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968. This...
Every August, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation releases a study of the Colorado River and this year it had both good news and bad news for states that rely on the river as a water resource. The study...
Cities are helping the next generation of desert dwellers understand where their water comes from, why it’s important to protect it, and how to conserve it. For more than a decade, the City...
Arizona is training people to help protect their favorite streams, ponds, wetlands, rivers and lakes in every corner of the state and there are plenty of ways you can get involved. You can learn to...
Right now, a decades-long drought is dominating the weather and water news across the southwest. News stories give a quick overview and convey the seriousness of the drought. But many...
Water is precious in the desert. For this reason, desert cities continually plan, innovate and develop strategies to make sure water is always available when you turn on your tap. That commitment...
Every year in June and July your city experiences its highest demand for water. So it makes sense that July is Smart Irrigation Month, a time set aside to remind people about efficient landscape...
If you live in the Phoenix Metro Area, more than half your drinking water likely comes from the Salt and Verde rivers. Springs, streams and wetlands in a 13,000-square-mile watershed feed these...
Now is the time to act on a plan to keep Lake Mead from falling to perilously low levels because of continuing drought and long-standing over-allocation of Colorado River water. That was the...
Arizona water supplies are under pressure from ongoing drought, climate change and the over-allocation of the Colorado River among states. Here’s what you need to know about how your AMWUA...
A secure water supply fuels Arizona’s agriculture, tourism, mining, and even its power. Reliable water supplies are essential to attract industries with high paying jobs and meet the needs of...
Karla Camou Guerra is a native of Hermosillo and had a good career as a metallurgist for gold mining companies operating in Mexico. When she was still in her twenties, Karla was about to help one...
An automated irrigation system waters your yard without you having to think about it – and that’s the problem. If you set the system and then forget it, this convenient device can...
Arizona has responsibly managed its water supplies to fuel the growth and prosperity of its largest desert cities for decades to come. While this is a great accomplishment, what is less talked...
In 1986, the City of Glendale established a plan to help lower the amount of water its residents used. The city didn’t mandate conservation or simply cheerlead residents to take action. It...
Water has been a hot topic at the Legislature ever since last summer when the Governor initiated a statewide conversation about this subject. AMWUA had high hopes at the beginning of the year...
Some day this June or July your city will reach peak demand for water. It’s not our thirst that drives the highest demand for drinking water each summer and we’re not washing more...
There was that morning when Joe Carbajal found himself cornered in a backyard facing down two pit bulls – one of which had his wrist in her teeth. The dog broke the skin but caused no...
Students who participate in Arizona Project WET programs get wet and dirty exploring river bottoms and wetlands. They learn a little about plumbing and irrigation systems and understand where water...
The AMWUA cities believe more must be done to keep the federal government from declaring a shortage on the Colorado River. Here are the reasons why this is important to you: If the...
Homeowners need to do a little homework to get the most out of their shopping trip to a nursery. Professionals at your nursery have the know-how to help you plant and maintain a lovely,...
In a dry land, water is the most precious of resources. So when you start talking about transferring water rights and moving large quantities of water from one region to another, the issues,...
Fix a Leak Week is a funny name for a week with a serious message. U.S. homes waste a startling amount of drinking water. The average household’s leaks can account for more than 10,000...
Investing in a tree adds shade to your yard, value to your home and is a gift to your city. The Cool Urban Space Project by the City of Phoenix, University of Arizona and Arizona State University...
There is a good chance that a cooling tower system helps to cool the buildings where you work, shop and play. There are about 12,000 cooling towers operating in Phoenix Metropolitan area schools...
On March 3 about 1,000 people will pick up a new weather-based smart irrigation controller for their home at a fraction of the retail cost. These WaterSense labeled controllers come with...
AMWUA cities routinely build partnerships to make sure they can deliver safe, reliable and affordable water to their residents all day every day. The cities share the cost of building and expanding...
Cape Town, home to 4 million people, may become the first major city in the world to run out of water as soon as May 11th. Although half way around the globe, Arizona can still learn from the...
Container gardens of cactus and succulents can add color and dimension to a yard, drama to a small patio, and life to an apartment balcony. They also can be frustrating and leave you with dead and...
In the economically disastrous year of 2009, Chris Harris lost his job in the wholesale automobile business. He was 43 years old and his wife was pregnant with twins. Chris had no college degree,...
Lisa Osborne and her husband bought their City of Avondale home in 2008. They planted two citrus trees in the backyard that sat in a field of gravel for years and proceeded to turn brown. Until...
More than half the drinking water used in the Phoenix Metro area is used outdoors, mostly to irrigate landscapes. Desert dwellers irrigate a variety of plants, trees and grass all year long as the...
Flood irrigation can be a surprising sight in a desert Valley. Water comes pouring out of ditches, covering large parks, ball fields or yards in what looks like deep storm runoff. While the rest of...
AMWUA cities offer more than 70 free landscape classes throughout the year to help you grow a more beautiful yard with less water. Local experts introduce you to a wide variety of desert plants and...