Scottsdale is asking all residents, businesses and visitors to conserve their water usage by at least five percent as the state is now officially in Tier One of a Colorado River supply shortage.
The shortage was declared by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in August, with the implementation taking effect Jan. 1, 2022. As a result, Central Arizona Project’s water supply will be reduced by 30 percent in 2022 – most of the cuts coming from agriculture.
While residents and businesses in Scottsdale will not see a shortage at their taps, everyone is asked to look at their water use and find better ways to conserve.
To help residents conserve, Scottsdale Water has a list of ways residents and businesses can save. Since 70 percent of residential water is used outside, residents are encouraged to take some simple steps today that can make a big impact throughout the year:
- Adjust irrigation timers. Residents can sign up for a monthly reminder on adjusting their water by texting WHENTOWATER to 33222.
- Sign up for WaterSmart. This new portal allows users to manage their water use and set up notifications. Go to ScottsdaleAZ.gov and search “WaterSmart.”
- Convert grass areas. Arizona-friendly landscape requires less than half the water that grass requires. Plus, residents may qualify to receive a rebate for the conversion.
- Create a water budget. By using water calculators such as www.amwua.org/water-use-calculator, residents can determine how much they use and if their water usage is normal for their house/family size.
- Request a free Outdoor Water Efficiency Check from an irrigation specialist. On average, Scottsdale Water experts can save a customer 4,000 gallons of water per month.
Scottsdale was the first city in Arizona to declare Stage One of its Drought Management Plan (DMP); as of 2022, other cities have followed suit. This declaration started what is forecasted to be a multi-year plan as river projections are forecasted to remain the same or decrease in the coming years.
At Stage One of Scottsdale’s DMP, water users are asked to reduce their water use. At Stage Two, increased water use restrictions and mandatory water conservation may be imposed by the city to include imposing a water shortage surcharge on one or more of the customer sectors and potential additional mandatory water use restrictions on water customers.