Water management is the process of getting usable water to the consumers. Arizona happens to have one of the most advanced water systems in the world. Throughout Arizona there is an arrangement of canals, dams, and ponds that move water to its destination. Arizona does not just have one source of water supply, it has three sources. Those sources are broken down into three categories which are ground water, surface water, and reclaimed water.

Ground water comes from natural reservoirs called aquifers. As you can see in the picture above, aquifers are below the earth’s surface. The aquifer is naturally replenished. There is a problem that occurs with using this water, it is called overdraft. Overdraft is when more water is pumped out than it is replenished. About 40% of Arizona’s water comes from groundwater that is in the aquifers. Since Arizona has a growing population, using more groundwater will pose a dilemma for the state. To help combat this problem Arizona implemented the Groundwater Management Code. The three goals of the code are to control severe overdraft, distribute groundwater to meet the needs of the state, and supplement groundwater through water supply development.

Published by: Paul Reyes

The majority of the water Arizona uses goes to agriculture which is about 70%. Municipal water use comes in as the second largest which is 22%. Industrial use is the least which is about 8%. The data is according to the information from Arizona Department of Water Resources.

There is waste within the agricultural use of water and there are a number of best practices in place to limit the loss of water. These practices will help alleviate the problem of wasting water.

Industry users must also comply with regulation to limit the loss of water. They must make efforts to recycle water. Another requirement is low flow plumbing. The landscaping must also be drought tolerant or have plants that use little water. After the year 2002, ground water cannot be used to water landscaping or be used to maintain artificial water structures like a pond or a fountain.

Municipal users use about 25% of the water available. As residents there are many ways that we can save water. We often get into habits that are hard to change but with effort on our part we can help reduce water waste. It is necessary for every user to make an effort because water is scarce in the desert climate of Arizona and it is a limited resource across the globe. There are a number of listed suggestions for residence on the AZ Department of Water Resources http://www.azwater.gov/azdwr/StatewidePlanning/Conservation2/

Here are a few that were listed.

Changing some of these behaviors that are associated with the list above will be beneficial to everyone. Changing our behavior will make it easier to pass on our routines to our children. Letting others know about how water is brought to Arizona may make them think twice about overusing.

Published by: Paul Reyes

Published by: William Harrell

Water sustainability has started with the US government and continues at the state level. LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a rating system for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of sustainable buildings, homes, and neighborhoods. It is intended to help building owners and builders and be environmentally responsible concerning water usage, electric usage, and material usage. The US Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org/leed) grants LEED certification and has more information concerning becoming LEED certified.

Arizona has a well established Recharge Project system, or a series of underground water reservoirs to hold water for future use or when droughts occur. The following video will explain what these Recharge projects are and where they are located.

Published by: William Harrell

ABC 15 news provided the following 10 points people should know about the water in Arizona. They highlight the current and future potential of the water supply specifically to the Phoenix/Tucson region of the state, also known as the Sun Corridor.

1. Rainfall in the Sun Corridor has little to do with water supply. Water is brought to this desert from the mountains

2. The renewable water supplies to the Sun Corridor provides enough water to theoretically support a population of 8-10 million people.

3. The Sun Corridor’s plumbing systems include reservoirs in Arizona, bigger reservoirs on the Colorado River and groundwater
banking. Together, these can typically store 4 to 5 years’ worth of urban Arizona’s water demands.

4. Climate change will probably increase variability of supply, and may reduce the “average” number by as much as 15%.

5. More than half of Sun Corridor water is still used to grow crops. Agricultural use has provided a buffer during droughts, when water for farming can be cut back to protect urban use.

6. Groundwater is subject to far more regulation in urban Arizona than in most states. We have purposefully put significant
amounts of water back underground for the last decade. Even so, the long-term goal of “safe yield” is a challenge to achieve and sustain.

7. Per capita use of water has been declining since the 1980s. The Phoenix area uses much more water for landscaping than Tucson. This reflects historical and climate differences in the two cities. But both urban areas have been consistently reducing consumption.

8. Reuse of urban water will be an important means of stretching water supplies in the future.

9. 2.4 million acre feet of average annual water supply appears to be a reasonable estimate for planning. At the current rates of
consumption, 2.4 million acre feet of annual water could support about 9.5 million residents in the Sun Corridor.

10. The Sun Corridor won’t run out of water, but it faces serious challenges about how to strike the right balance between population growth and lifestyle.

You can read more here:http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/central_phoenix/new-statewide-water-report-released-concerning-phoenix-tucson-future-water-supply#ixzz2mNywixwb

The EPA lists Arizona as the second fastest growing state in the United States. This is only going to amplify the fact that Arizona is a desert and water is a scarce resource. Although lengthy, the following video details the the future of water in Arizona.

Another aspect of the future of water is how to adapt and expand our current usage and framework of water management. Below is a document taken from the Central Arizona Project detailing the current status of our water management and how Arizona's Five C's (cattle, copper, citrus, climate, cotton) have effected and will continue to effect the water management of the state.

Published by: William Harrell