How Phoenix leads by example when it comes to water conservation

The city of Phoenix is modeling the behavior it would like to see from its residents when it comes to water conservation.

“Every drop matters. We are a desert community, and water is necessary for sustainability,” Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington told KTAR News 92.3 FM recently.

Here’s a look at some of the ways Arizona’s largest city is working to conserve the desert’s most precious resource.

Aviation Department efforts

The city’s Aviation Department has saved 5 million gallons annually by replacing over 11 acres of nonfunctional grass with drought-tolerant landscaping.

The city also installed smart irrigation technology, which monitors for leaks and measures soil moisture so landscaping doesn’t get overwatered.

Phoenix Aviation also saved 22 million gallons each year by updating airport cooling towers.

“They’re more efficient, they’re smaller, they use less water. And we are able to recycle the water through the coolers more efficiently with less chemicals so that we can reuse the water even longer,” Hodge Washington said.

In addition, the Aviation Department installed about 1,600 low-flow toilets at Sky Harbor International Airport, both in public-facing and airport administrative areas.

“This has helped us utilize 20% less water than standard features,” Hodge Washington said.

Public Works Department water conservation

Similarly, the Public Works Department installed low-flow toilets in downtown Phoenix public buildings and parks to save more than 7 million gallons annually.

The Public Works Department also removed grass around City Hall and retrofitted cooling towers on city property for a combined total savings of 29 million gallons a year.

Smart leak technology

More recently, Phoenix installed smart leak technology on the toilets at its Fillmore Gardens senior public housing complex.

The devices identify potential leaks so on-site maintenance crews can quickly repair them, reducing water waste.

“Toilets are one of the ways that we lose so much water in a residential setting,” Hodge Washington said.

How Phoenix residents can conserve water

Hodge Washington said the city wants residents to follow its examples.

She said the easiest water conservation practices for residents to adopt are replacing grass and installing toilet leak detection devices.

Phoenix has a cash-for-grass program that pays homeowners $2 per square foot of grass removal if they replace a minimum of 250 square feet of grass.

The Water Department also offers water efficiency consultations for its residents.

“A specialist will come out and perform an assessment free of charge for you to determine how you can save and be a better steward of water,” Hodge Washington said.

Related

Phoenix advances water conservation with smart toilet leak detection programCity of Phoenix braces for Colorado River cuts, plans to tap reservesFor Phoenix residents, water conservation can start in their own yardCould Arizona communities share water during shortages? Phoenix is taking the first stepArizona university researchers study how to increase shrinking groundwater suppliesHow did last year’s Dragon Bravo Fire impact Grand Canyon water supply?