This year, Arizona lawmakers have introduced over 90 water bills, far surpassing the number seen in previous legislative sessions. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these bills would chip away at...
Last June, the Arizona Department of Water Resources released the updated Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) Groundwater Model. Its projections showed a groundwater deficit over the next 100...
Whether from reading the news, paying your water bill, or doing some research before buying a home, you have probably heard the term “water service areas.” Even if you have not, service...
On February 14th, Arizona celebrates its 112th birthday, which is the perfect opportunity to appreciate where we live and embrace our state's diversity in landscape and weather, as well as how...
The Phoenix metropolitan area is blessed with surface water made available through canals operated by the Salt River Project, and both the Phoenix and Tucson regions are fortunate to receive water...
Arizona is confronting water challenges but now is not the time to undermine the 100-year Assured Water Supply Program that has allowed our communities and economy to thrive here in the desert. As...
Headlines continue to draw attention to Arizona's groundwater issues, from putting on hold new subdivisions in Maricopa County that rely solely on groundwater to declining groundwater levels in...
Since the release of the Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) Groundwater Model, attention to its findings has grown to include claims that we do not have enough water, which will stop or seriously...
Despite the impression given by some stories in the national media, the ten AMWUA cities have diverse water portfolios and can meet the demands of their residents and businesses not just for today...
The recently released Phoenix AMA Groundwater Model has generated much attention and conversation. While it's an important step forward to continue our long history of securing and...
With so much focus on the Colorado River, it is critical that we continue to protect and find ways to improve the management of our groundwater supply. Arizona has a proud history of taking...
The international organization Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) has ranked Arizona third in the nation and second in the Colorado River Basin for advancing water efficiency and conservation...
Many headlines claim that Arizona is running out of water. While some specific areas within our state are facing challenges, such as wells running dry or aquifers not being able to sustain new...
As the new legislative session begins, Governor Hobbs has made water a priority. In her State of the State address, she boldly shined a spotlight on Arizona's water challenges and encouraged...
As we confront a future with less Colorado River water, we are reminded about the importance of another critical water supply – groundwater. Both Colorado River water and groundwater have a...
As the monsoon season wraps up, we can celebrate that many areas across the state received essential moisture, providing short-term relief to our environment and increasing the amount of water in...
This year’s lengthy state legislative session will be remembered for the passage of a historic investment in Arizona’s water. The Legislature wrapped up its business with...
The recent announcement proposing a new state water entity raises questions about what it means for our state, what impact it will have on our water supplies, and at what cost. Before addressing...
Finding new water supplies is an increasing area of focus for state leaders, decision-makers, and the water community, as highlighted by the recent announcement to create an Arizona Water Authority...
Arizona is always on the outlook for that next bucket of water. Knowing the importance of water in the desert, we often dream of finding new water supplies. This has increased in recent years as we...
With the 2022 legislative session now underway, state legislators will be considering various proposals to address water challenges. The importance of water has been elevated with the uncertainty...
The announcement of a Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage for 2022 reinforces the importance of being responsible with all of the water we have. We understand significant challenges lie ahead for the...
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...
We use water every day, which is why it’s essential to realize that those daily choices affect our future. As we recognize Water Awareness Month, we are reminded that we must be conscious of...
Whether you tune into a public meeting on water in Arizona or read any of the numerous newspaper articles on how our State is preparing for future Colorado River shortages, you’re bound to...
Arizona's water management successes over the last 40 years are due to the willingness of its stakeholders to face challenges, make difficult discussions, and develop strategies and policies to...
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...
To ensure we have water not only today, but for the long-term, our diligence and work never ends, and 2021 will certainly be no exception. While we know the Colorado River will receive much...
The topic of water in Arizona has dominated many headlines as of late, and that is a good thing. That attention means the importance of water is being acknowledged, and valuable conversations are...
The AMWUA cities are vigilant about protecting the quality of their water supply. That is why the cities' staffs rigorously test, analyze, and monitor water quality every single day, to ensure...
Through this two-part series on safe-yield, we will look back at the past, acknowledge how far we have come, and discuss the challenges we still collectively face as we move forward. The...
As the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the 1980 Groundwater Management Act (GMA) wind down, our collective focus now must shift to the future. We know that the GMA was a monumental piece of...
As temperatures begin to soar, so do the number of wildfires in our State, which is an important reminder that we need to use extreme caution with fires. It's also essential to remember...
Above-average snowfall in the Rockies combined with the effect of the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), which ensures more water remains in Lake Mead, means the over-taxed Colorado River is...
Arizona residents certainly know the value of water. Yet it is easy to forget the complex process and the extensive team of people it takes to get safe and secure water to our tap. And the...
Our State Capitol is once again abuzz with Legislators working hard to pass hundreds of bills with the intent to improve our lives and address issues affecting us. Interest groups of all...
This year we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Groundwater Management Act. Through this three-part series on groundwater, we will look back at the past, acknowledge how far we have come,...
This year we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Groundwater Management Act. Through this three-part series on groundwater, we will look back at the past, acknowledge how far we have come,...
When a difficult situation or issue spurs a diverse range of reactions, too often people do their best to dodge the subject or ignore it, like an elephant in the room. In Arizona’s water...
Arizona water professionals are always looking for the next big bucket of water for residents and businesses. However, a new study shows that instead we may need to pursue smaller buckets and...
How can so many people live in the middle of the desert? Well it’s because we are acutely aware that we must continually plan and invest to ensure safe, reliable, and sustainable water...
Water is essential for life. The wellbeing of our local communities and economy depends on it. In Arizona, we know the importance of planning, investing, and developing forward-thinking policies...
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...
Innovation in wastewater treatment is right under our nose. Converting waste to energy took a leap into reality last week in Phoenix as Ameresco officially cut the ribbon and unveiled their 91st...
The terms drought and shortage are commonplace in conversations across the arid State of Arizona and although they are used together regularly, they are uniquely distinct. Drought is a prolonged...
For months we have heard about the looming shortage of Colorado River water and how Arizona must take action to reduce the risk of deeper shortfalls by approving the Lower Basin Drought Contingency...
Arizona demonstrated last month it could protect its Colorado River water and maintain control of its future, when the Governor signed legislation approving the State’s participation in the...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The desert cities in Central Arizona have withstood 22 years of ongoing drought without imposing emergency conservation measures, such as those California ordered in 2015. Much of the credit goes...
2017 was another busy year in water. It marked AMWUA’s 48th year of supporting the work of 10 Central Arizona cities to assure safe and reliable water for their...
2018 is set to be a big year for Arizona water law. For the last seven months, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has led a conversation about how to improve managing the state's Colorado...
Arizona has been working hard to ensure the Secretary of the Interior does not declare a shortage of Colorado River water and cut the state’s water supplies. It has taken a team effort...
A couple dozen Arizona craft breweries will bring their beers to Phoenix in September to vie for a professional judge’s choice award and a people's choice award. Here's why this...
Central Arizona's desert cities offer rebates, outdoor water audits, videos, free publications and landscape classes to help customers use water more efficiently outdoors. Cities also lead by...
So far 2017 has been a good year for water. The Southwest had a rainy winter, an official shortage of Colorado River water appears delayed another year, and there was broad support for water issues...
It is not easy for cities to build, staff and operate water and wastewater treatment plants and still maintain water and wastewater rates all residents can afford. That’s why Central Arizona...
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...
Your city's water department does a great job using science and engineering, muscle and skill to get drinking water into your home 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The water professionals at...
When someone asks Sal Correa what he does for a living, he answers this way: “You know the water you drink? I make sure it gets to your house.” That’s a pretty good description....
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...
This month, former Senator Jon Kyl told a gathering of elected officials and water professionals that Arizona's past water successes had one thing in common: the willingness of competing forces...
In 2009, I was a new member of the Board overseeing the Central Arizona Project (CAP) and energy, not water, was the primary focus. I was surprised with my sudden immersion into the ins and outs of...
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...
Grease sent down drains in restaurant kitchens has plagued city sewer systems since they were built. The Tempe Grease Cooperative takes an artful step toward better controlling the ugly problem....
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...
Various races are competing for your attention on the ballot this election season. You know the high profile races for President of the United States, the U.S. Congress and the State Legislature....
Imagine watching your water consumption online in real time as easily as you access your checking account or medical records. By Spring 2017 about 5,000 City of Tempe homes and businesses will have...
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...
Here's a dare: Spend a day without water. The truth is you can't. Even if you are willing to give up showering, brushing, flushing, washing your hands, doing laundry, using your dishwasher,...
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...
As you fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport bright blue dots mark thousands of backyard pools. For decades, backyard pools have been as common as sunshine in Valley neighborhoods. Many...
It's no surprise that demand for water in the Phoenix Metro area reaches its peak during the summer months. What may be surprising is that demand nearly doubles from the winter months to the...
Jim Lane's resume is packed with past and present memberships on important governing boards, such as the League of Arizona Cities and Towns and Maricopa Association of Governments. After...
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...
For many years, the State of Arizona has been storing water underground to prepare for times of drought. One way Arizona has accomplished this is through the efforts of a little-known state agency...
In the early 1990s, Arizona was not using all the water it was legally due from the Colorado River. Instead, much of Arizona's unused water flowed down the Colorado River to California....
The goal of safe-yield has motivated Arizona's cities to maximize their use of renewable water supplies - such as river water or recycled wastewater - and to minimize pumping groundwater....
A likely shortage of Colorado River water in Arizona is big news. It should be. Colorado River water makes up 44 percent of the state's water supply delivered through 336-miles of canals and...
Independence Day. However you celebrate - whether by the pool or watching fireworks with your favorite drink in hand - it is an excellent opportunity to contemplate what we often take for granted,...
Recently, Phoenix announced a water-bottling plant was opening in a vacant warehouse on the city's west side. The plant reportedly will bottle about 35 million gallons of Phoenix tap water a...
AMWUA works to provide reliable and useful water information and now we have help from a new website called Arizona Water Facts. The website offers a realistic guide to where the state's water...
Many Southwest cities help their utility customers pay for long-term water-saving changes they make to their homes and yards. These changes can include buying a more water-efficient toilet or...
Lake Mead has dropped to a historic low with a Colorado River shortage declaration looming as soon as the next couple of years. Arizona's water managers have planned and prepared for a Colorado...
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...
By 1928 Arizona's farmers, miners, loggers and ranch hands were migrating into the urban areas of the state. The state's largest cities also began attracting tourists and new residents....
A small team of filmmakers, computer experts, educators and scientists at the University of Arizona is convinced that many people - including young people - are eager to learn about serious and...
The City of Scottsdale wants to create more water wonks. Scottsdale Water is giving 20 residents an opportunity to explore the science, engineering and labor it takes to keep water running day and...
Sound long-term water management is vital to ensure that Arizona has a strong economy both in urban and rural parts of the State. This is why the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA)...
Baseball players and fans want to see spring training fields covered in bright green grass ready to play ball. That means a host city must dedicate water to keep the grass green and irrigate the...
Drought-tolerant plants and trees require less maintenance and water than a lawn. Yet, how do you remove grass, whether at your home, an HOA's common space, an apartment complex or a business?...
Homeowners Associations (HOA) face a difficult balance trying to keep their common areas looking attractive while also keeping water bills under control. The City of Phoenix is the latest AMWUA...
February in the Valley of the Sun means spring weather, golf tournaments, rodeos and our State's birthday on Valentine's Day. February also means the State Capitol is abuzz with Legislators...
A week ago Sunday, the day after moving to Phoenix, I woke up in my new place to find no water. I was reminded of how easy it is to take water for granted and to underappreciate the thousands of...
The AMWUA Blog marked 100 posts last week. We launched the weekly blog in March 2015 with a post that introduced readers to Tres Rios. This wetlands project on the west edge of Phoenix is home to...
Carol Ward-Morris, AMWUA's Assistant Director, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE). The Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to...
A great man passed away on January 6, 2016 just shy of his 94th birthday. His name was Wes Steiner. If you weren’t around in the 60’s, 70’s or 80’s, you might not have heard...
"Lead" is a verb. It means to guide, to show the way. Protecting Arizona's water future will require our elected officials to lead us forward the way past generations took charge when...
2015 was a big year for headlines and stories about water and, given the nearly 16-year drought, we can expect no less in 2016. That's a good thing because it keeps the momentum going for...
Cities need trees, including our desert cities. Trees help to mitigate the heat island, reduce ground temperatures in the evening and remove pollutants from the air. Trees raise property values,...
The cost of delivering clean water to your home or business is rising. So is the cost of treating and reusing wastewater. The increase may already be reflected in your water bill, or soon will be....
Last month, the 107th Arizona Town Hall was held in Mesa, Arizona. Arizona Town Hall is a non-profit organization that brings together diverse Arizonans to discuss critical state issues facing the...
Ever wonder about the quality of water that comes out of your faucet? If you live in the City of Phoenix, most of your water comes from the Colorado, Salt and Verde rivers. Water is delivered to...
The Town of Gilbert is helping businesses brag about what they are doing to save water. You'll know a business is conserving when you see a Water Wise Gilbert decal in its window or yard sign...
In 1973, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation broke ground at Lake Havasu for an engineering wonder that would carry an average of 1.5 million acre-feet of Colorado River water each year across Arizona...
Arizona desert cities have a distinctive style. There are few other cities where you'll find mesquite and palo verde trees in parks, giant blue agaves and golden barrel cactus in yards,...
AMWUA started its weekly blog posts in March 2014. This is our 83rd message to a growing audience. The AMWUA Blog is designed to explain where the Valley's water comes from, how cities deliver,...
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...
Some U.S. cities and towns still don't use water meters. Instead, the overall cost of delivering water and sewer services is tallied every month and divided by the number of customers. A...
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...
Thinking about some changes to your yard? Upgrading your kitchen, bathroom or laundry?If you upgrade to a more water-efficient home, your city may be willing to contribute to your project. Seven...
The City of Goodyear has a 500,000 gallons-per-day brine problem. That problem will only grow as the quiet little West Valley city along the Estrella Mountains expands. Goodyear is working on an...
When it comes to water supplies in this extended drought, there seem to be two Arizonas. Most Arizona cities are reassuring their residents and businesses that water supplies are secure. In other...
Every time a truck, an ATV, or a motorbike travels along a dirt road in Arizona's high country it churns up the ground, creates ruts and gullies, and degrades the edges of the road. When there...
Businesses that use an exceptionally high volume of water and want to set up shop in the City of Chandler will have to prove they bring significant benefits to the city, or pay more for their...
Remember the first time you saw Phoenix? If you weren't born here, you most likely flew in and then drove down a freeway. The desert landscaping that lines our freeways is one of those cultural...
Desert dwellers love a good rain, but cities long considered stormwater runoff a nuisance. Cities built massive infrastructures to drain it away quickly before it could flood streets and yards. In...
Along with thirty conservation leaders and experts in the southwest, I've been wrestling with a project since 2013. It's part of the Moving Forward effort initiated by the Bureau of...
If you want to find out how to save water and keep a little grass in the back yard, how about asking a city with more than 400 acres of Bermuda to care for? The City of Scottsdale maintains 42...
During the last few decades, cities in the Phoenix Metropolitan area became bustling economic centers providing jobs and homes for millions of new residents. Development spread across what had been...
The cities of Mesa and Chandler provide the Gila River Indian Community with reclaimed water to irrigate its growing farm industry. In exchange, the Gila River community gives Mesa and Chandler...
Facing unprecedented water shortages, California Gov. Jerry Brown has imposed mandatory urban water use reductions of 25 percent. The Governor's order followed years of low snowpack and runoff...
Last week, California finally took baby steps to manage its decades old problem of landowners drilling wells to pump groundwater whenever and wherever they pleased. The new laws could take up to...