It may be hard to believe, but fall is officially upon us. That means daytime temperatures are lowering, the nights are cooling off, and most of us are relieved to open the windows, turn down the...
Outdoor water use in the Valley tends to rise significantly as summer temperatures climb. Ensuring your system is functioning properly and watering correctly – deeply and less frequently...
Another monsoon season has officially begun. Now, as we wait in anticipation of what we hope is significant rainfall, we need to take the necessary precautions to remain safe when those storms come...
We know the key to ensuring your landscape's health and beauty is watering correctly. While many people find outdoor watering a bit of a challenge in the desert, the reality is that achieving...
In Arizona, we understand the importance of water conservation. That’s why developing a wide array of programs and resources that are easily accessible to residents and businesses remains a...
Conserving water is what we do when we live in a desert, especially as pressures on our water supplies increase. While reducing your water use won’t solve the Colorado River shortage,...
Conservation actions are more vital than ever as pressures on our water supplies increase. While reducing your water use won't solve the Colorado River shortage, conservation enables your city...
You can significantly reduce your outdoor water use with a desert-adapted landscape. Drought-tolerant plants and trees require less maintenance and water than lawns, especially when appropriately...
The monsoon season has officially begun. While everyone knows the precautions to ensure they remain safe during the storm season, it is also important to prepare your yard to limit the damage and...
Here in the Valley, most of our water use occurs outdoors and not inside the home. With such a significant amount of our water being used outside, it highlights the importance of being efficient...
We have experienced above-average temperatures throughout the fall season, but now with the arrival of December and with the start of meteorological winter, temperatures should begin to cool....
The cost of watering large landscapes can significantly impact budgets for homeowners’ associations, multifamily communities, churches, schools, and businesses. That is why the Town of...
A Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage will happen in 2022, which will result in an estimated 30% reduction to Colorado River supplies delivered by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) in Maricopa, Pinal,...
Soon fall will officially be upon us, and most of us will be relieved to open the windows, turn down the air conditioner and venture outside to enjoy the fresh air once the temperatures finally...
Outdoor water use in the Valley rises in the heat of summer. We know the key to maintaining your landscape's health and beauty is watering correctly, but that can be a bit of a challenge in the...
The monsoon season has officially begun. Now, as we wait in anticipation of what we hope is significant rainfall, we need to take the necessary precautions to ensure we remain safe when those...
As our temperatures rise, so does outdoor water use in the Valley. We know the key to maintaining your landscape's health and beauty is watering correctly, but that can be a bit of a challenge...
One of the simplest but essential tasks we can do as residential water consumers is to maintain a water-efficient home. By doing so, we minimize water waste and conserve energy which then reduces...
A well-designed, desert-adapted landscape is more than just picturesque—it can help lower your water bill, reduce the time and money you spend on maintenance, add value to your home or...
Extreme weather can wreak havoc on your plants and overall landscape, whether it is intense heat or the heavy rains and winds that accompany monsoons. But with the proper care, your plants can...
Water-efficient landscapes are a must in our desert climate, but they don’t have to all be the same – adding your sense of style will make it your own and ensure your outdoor living...
As our temperatures rise, so does outdoor water use in the Valley. We know the key to maintaining your landscape's health and beauty is watering correctly, but that can be a bit of a challenge...
As the weather warms up, many of us will look around our yards and wonder if our plants and trees are feeling the heat and require more water, or if we can simply trust that our automated...
With people taking extra precautions and proactively washing their hands more, some may wonder what impact it is having on our water and wastewater. That question does not have a simple answer...
With thoughts of spring swirling, now is the perfect time to do some outdoor planning. With a little strategy and knowledge, it’s easy to enjoy color in your desert yard all four seasons of...
The temperatures have cooled and as many of us plan to head outdoors and enjoy the winter weather, there are a few tips that can help you get your yard ready for you and your winter guests....
A well-designed, desert-adapted landscape is more than just picturesque—it can help lower your water bill, reduce the time and money you spend on maintenance, and add value to your home or...
Fall has officially arrived and most of us are relieved to open the windows, turn down the air conditioner and venture outside to enjoy the fresh air. Most will also take a look at how their yards...
As Smart Irrigation Month wraps up, our attention to saving water outdoors continues to ramp up. Although July is a peak month for outdoor water use and a good time to make sure you’re using...
More than half the drinking water used in the Valley is used outdoors, primarily to irrigate landscapes. Establishing a lovely yard that is water efficient in the desert can be achieved in a few...
Monsoon season has officially begun. As everyone takes precautions to ensure they remain safe during the storm season, it is also important to prepare your yard so it is monsoon ready. We want to...
Did you know that ten percent of American homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day? Over a year, this adds up to nearly 1 trillion gallons of wasted water nationwide. Is...
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...
Using the right amount of water to keep a landscape thriving is more important than ever with the ongoing drought and the rising cost of water. For nearly a decade, the Town of Gilbert has...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Setting water rates is never easy. There are two overriding considerations for a city when calculating a new rate structure. First, city water departments need to cover service costs. These costs...
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...
So you’re looking at your trees and plants baking in the desert summer sun and you’re beginning to feel just a little sorry for them. Save your sympathy. Desert-adapted plants are built...
We're approaching peak demand season for city water departments, which means peak water bills for residents and businesses. The demand for water is at its highest in June or July when landscape...
Is this your year to become a water advocate? Yes, I know, we're all pressed for time, but water advocacy doesn't have to take much time. What it takes is a question or a suggestion to the...
Some professional landscapers suggest homeowners design sections of their landscape as they would design each room in their home. This image helps homeowners give their yards dimension with layers...
Since 1998, the City of Scottsdale has been treating about half of its wastewater to near drinking water standards. It's an expensive process that uses reverse osmosis technology, but the city...
Water leaks inside and outside the average American home waste up to 10,000 gallons of water a year. This drain on the country's drinking water supply is so critical that the U.S. Environmental...
Luiza Yordanova appreciates the Valley's winter weather as much as we all do but winter makes her job as supervisor of a City of Tempe drinking water treatment plant a bit more complicated. She...
The Sonoran Desert is an incomparable place to hike, bike, run, horseback ride and bird watch. When it comes to foraging for food, it's not so grand. Even those knowledgeable and enthusiastic...
In the last two years, the Town of Gilbert has more than doubled the number of Homeowners Associations enrolled in a free program that takes the guesswork out of landscape irrigation. The program...
Here's one of the easiest ways you can save money and water: learn how to manage your irrigation controller. AMWUA cities' conservation professionals continue to report that many...
Monsoon storms brought temperatures down and brought more desert dwellers out to their patios. It's the time of year when homeowners begin to reimagine their yards: a new tree here, some...
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation recently confirmed Arizona would not face a declared shortage of Colorado River water in 2017. This is good news but Arizona's cities, farmers and industry...
In writing about the monsoon season, I'm hoping we do not jinx having more storms. The monsoon season in the Valley is a great time of year for suddenly cooler temperatures and extraordinary...
In a 3.2-acre space hemmed in by traffic noise, office buildings and warehouse construction sits a living classroom. The University of Arizona's Maricopa County Cooperative Extension is a place...
People like the idea of reusing laundry water to irrigate their yards. It's called a laundry-to-landscape graywater system. Installing a graywater system is part of a growing movement of...
When you pay your water bill, a big part of the charges is something called a sewer fee. If you live in an AMWUA member city, it's the responsibility of your city's water department to...
"Master" seems like a grand title for a gardener, doesn't it? It's not an easy title to earn and requires serious volunteer work. But if you love plants and are committed to...
Remember those great vegetables picked from the summer garden back home? Vegetable gardens were a source of pride, but it didn't take much skill to grow a great beefsteak tomato in...
The people who keep school buildings operating have a big job, and data from the City of Phoenix show they're doing it while saving water. Numbers from the city indicate that the volume of...
Grass does have a role in our desert environment with proper care and appropriate irrigation. There are heat-tolerant and less thirsty varieties of turf for those who love that patch of green in...
Homeowners are quick to blame water meters when their water bills escalate. Water meters can malfunction, but an overcharge is rare. Water meters usually slow down with age. That means a faulty...
So you've selected desert-adapted plants and trees and installed a beautiful water-saving landscape. The key to maintaining your landscape's health, beauty, and longevity is watering...
We've all seen desert yards where three or four cactus plants are scattered across a sea of gravel. (We may see one when we look out our windows.) Then we've seen those dramatic desert...
AMWUA has been the go-to source for desert landscaping guides since desert landscaping was a novelty. Plant selection information remains the runaway favorite destination on our website. This...
There are 11 neighborhoods in the Town of Gilbert where residents have collectively saved 135 million gallons of water over five years. This achievement didn't happen by accident. About 25...
In 1986, the Town of Gilbert began storing treated wastewater in a pond at Cooper and Elliot roads. It did not surprise town officials that the pond attracted birds, but they were surprised by how...
The Town of Gilbert helps homeowners associations take the guesswork out of irrigation costs. The town's voluntary program keeps landscapes looking lovely, saves money and water, and maintains...