What a total delight when I discovered this well written, content rich piece about what our City is doing to prepare for the much-dreaded drought. A call to Fernando Molina from the City of Tucson Water Department resulted in his willingness and enthusiasm about our sharing it with the dedicated & informed members the of Mrs. Green’s world. This blog is about Tucson but I am trying to think of a place in the United States where water is not an issue of major significance. Read on & enjoy!
We live in a desert. Tucsonans never take water for granted. Neither does Tucson Water.
The southwestern United States is in the grip of a long-term drought. The Colorado River, the source of 90% of our drinking water, is hard hit by this drought. Lake Mead, which stores our Colorado River water, has dropped 12 feet during the past several years. Others who depend on water from the Colorado, like California and Las Vegas, are declaring mandatory water restrictions.
But in Tucson, we aren’t in a water crisis. Why?
1. Planning
Tucson Water professionals have planned for drought. The utility developed, and the Mayor and Council approved, a Drought Preparedness and Response Plan in 2005. Tucson Water – like most large water utilities in Arizona – is required to demonstrate 100 years of assured water supply.
2. Storing Water for Future Use
We take our maximum annual allocation of Colorado River Water but only use about 70% — Tucson Water stores the rest underground. Approximately 326 billion gallons of water have been stored for the future, and more is stored every day.
3. Offering Water Conservation Assistance, Rebates & Education
Tucson Water makes water efficiency easy by providing customers with free water conservation information, assistance, water audits, incentives and rebates for water-efficient plumbing fixtures and rainwater harvesting systems.
4. Irrigating with Reclaimed Water
For more than 30 years, Tucson Water has been recycling treated wastewater for irrigation. Nearly all Tucson area golf courses, parks, and schools use this Reclaimed Water to keep vegetation green.
5. Exploring New Ways to Re-use All of Our Water
Water is a precious limited resource. Tucson Water is conducting long-range research on the best ways to recycle currently unused Reclaimed Water by purifying it and blending it with our current water resources.
Collaboration, planning, and commitment have helped Tucson meet the challenges of this drought better than any other city in the Southwest. But we all need to continue to use water wisely and encourage our friends and neighbors to do the same.
To learn more about how Tucson Water is prepared for drought, please visit: tucsonaz.gov/water/drought.
p.s. GREAT WORK City of Tucson Water Department. Our community, our region and our planet need you. Great information for families and homeowners. Kudos!