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Tree in the desert
The drought in Arizona is causing businesses and residents alike to carefully evaluate their water use. And the City of Mesa is no different. With a goal of saving an additional five percent in response to the City of Mesa Water Management Shortage declaration that was enacted on May 18, all City
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Glibert water tower
In Gilbert, our Water Conservation Team works with Homeowner Associations, churches, schools, businesses, multifamily apartments, and other commercial water users to help them use water wisely. Through our Water Wise Gilbert program, participants receive a customized water budget for their
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City of Glendale skyscape.
From time to time, Arizona Water Facts gives space for water providers in the State to highlight their innovations in their water conservation efforts. The City of Glendale Water Services Department now is offering water efficiency assessments free of charge. The City of Glendale Water Services
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Three screens of people on a virtual meeting
Phoenix Water launched a digital education page to make learning from home convenient for everyone. The Water Education from the Cloud page, launched this summer, offers water conservation resources for all ages including activity books, games, learning videos for kids and adults, and lesson plans
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Cows being herded on the desert plain by a man on a horse.
Every spring, ranchers face the same difficult challenge—trying to guess how much grass will be available for livestock to graze during the upcoming season. Since May 2019, an innovative Grassland Productivity Forecast known as “Grass-Cast” has been helping producers in both the Northern and
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Avondale and Phoenix, respected city halls
Active Management Area (AMA) 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 water and wastewater treatment plants and share underground storage and
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Water ripple with a splash back
As Arizonans, we know how important water is to our communities. That is why we work together to conserve and protect our water resources. At Global Water Resources (Global Water) we take great pride in being a responsible water, wastewater, and recycled water utility and that’s why, like many other
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Water Irrigating from pre-colonial and modern times
It might be easy to think of irrigation practices as modern commodities or technologies. Especially in Arizona, where the scorching desert heat makes keeping plants and crops healthy, particularly challenging. While irrigation practices are constantly evolving, some can be traced back to early
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Water pouring into a glass
As we all work together to fight the spread of the coronavirus, Arizona’s water providers can take great pride in knowing they are playing a critical role in public health. It starts with the delivery of clean water to homes and businesses. So when it comes to the quality of water, there is no
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Kid on computer looking at Arizona Department of Water Resources
Creating excitement about learning is always the goal for Arizona Project WET (APW). Even with schools closed for safety during the pandemic, APW staff and student Water Educators stepped up to provide unique opportunities for students to learn about water in the comfort of their own homes. When we
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No Need to Tie a string around your finger
An automated irrigation system waters your yard without you having to think about it – and that’s the problem. If you set your controller and then forget it, this convenient device can cost you money, waste precious drinking water, and weaken your trees and plants. Forgetting an irrigation system
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Water Efficiently tubing
Did you know that in Arizona up to 70% of water is used outside the home? Considering this substantial water use, it’s no surprise that more landscape plants in Arizona die from overwatering than underwatering. By conserving water outdoors not only will you save water and money, but you’ll have a
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Toilets are not trashcans
While many people are having a difficult time finding and purchasing toilet paper, it is causing an existing problem to become an even bigger one. Despite what packaging says, flushable wipes are in fact not flushable. Only the three P’s belong in the toilet: pee, poo, and (toilet) paper. All other
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July Smart Irrigation Month
July is Smart Irrigation Month and with more than half of the drinking water in the Valley used outdoors for the primary purpose of irrigating landscapes, it may be time to learn how to optimize your automated irrigation controller for maximum efficiency. If an irrigation system is well managed, a
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EPA Fix a Leak Weekl Banner
In 2019, Governor Doug Ducey proclaimed the third week of March as Fix a Leak Week. It is a time to remind all residents of Arizona to check their household fixtures and irrigation systems for common household leaks including dripping faucets, broken irrigation sprinklers, and worn-out toilet
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Microburst over a city at sunset.
Parts of the desert Southwest experience seasonal “monsoon” activities during the summer from approximately June 15 through September 30. We encourage residents to establish a four-step plan for monsoon season: Write and rehearse a family communication plan that identifies a meeting place and
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Riparian wetland area
Riparian areas and wetlands are the links between land and water. They are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth and are thought of as "ribbons of life," networking across various landscapes and biotic communities. Within Arizona, local communities are finding ways to protect these
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Water Awareness Month Banner
Our warmest thanks to all our partners in celebrating this year’s Water Awareness Month. It was a wonderful month celebration and we were so moved to see all our partners and their communities come together to celebrate. So, we are delighted to share a few highlights from Water Awareness Month 2018
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Skyline of Phoenix north of McDowell on Central.
Office buildings, schools, hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and other commercial and institutional facilities can use a significant amount of water and energy in their daily operations. In most cases, electricity or gas is used to purify and pump water to a facility, in addition to heating water. So
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Welcome to Wildlife to your Garden, with bees and humming bird
The Sonoran Desert is one of the most ecologically diverse deserts in the world with more than 2,000 native plant species and hundreds of wildlife species. Special adaptations have allowed plants and animals to survive and thrive in this desert climate for thousands of years. Over the past century
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Gilbert Water Calculator Bill Insert
Ever wonder how your water use adds up? Use the new Gilbert water calculator to see how much water your household needs. Compare the calculator’s results with your actual use to see if you have room for savings. Remember, water needs will vary depending on the size and type of the landscape, water
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ARCGIS application map
Water efficiency is becoming increasingly important to community water systems within Arizona from a resource management and economic perspective. Not only do these water systems serve residents year-around providing water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning but they also serve various businesses
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April is Water Awareness Month
By proclamation of the Governor in 2008, it is Water Awareness Month in Arizona. So, what do you suppose that means? On a personal level, being “water aware” almost universally means learning to conserve water. It is a precious and scarce resource, after all. As citizens of an arid Western state who
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Student doing science in the field.
During back to school time, Arizona students will be excited to hear their teachers’ plans for them to learn about water in the upcoming year. Through Arizona Project WET‘s Systems Thinking Academy, teachers prepared to bring water into their classrooms, utilizing new Aqua STEM units, while
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Homes next to golf courses
As a rule, industries with an economic reliance on a valuable resource tend to be extremely careful in how they use it. Farmers in Yuma County and elsewhere in Arizona, for example, have become experts in laser leveling fields, crop management and water-conserving irrigation techniques. The same is
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USDA Saturated field of produce
Keynote speaker Clint Chandler of ADWR assures rural growers and residents that their issues are a top priority for Gov. Ducey: "We ask you to stay tuned." Irrigated agriculture in Arizona is a $17 billion-per-year industry in transition, according to speakers at a widely acclaimed conference on
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Groundwater Management act of 1980 signing
To the “end user” – the Tempe or Tucson homeowner turning on the tap to fill a kettle for a cup of tea – it is all just water. In composition, color and consistency, it is no different from the liquid pouring forth from taps anywhere else in the U.S. It is clear, clean and plentiful water. A basic
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Low Impact Development Toolkit Banner.
Like most communities across Arizona, the Cities of Mesa and Glendale historically considered stormwater to be a nuisance that needed to be quickly eliminated through an expensive pipe and channel system. Today is different. Mesa and Glendale are shifting the stormwater paradigm and recognizing
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Community Garden in Phoenix with a sun shade.
The list of challenges to living sustainably can be lengthy. Conserving energy. Protecting precious resources, such as water, in times of scarcity. Buying locally. Thinking globally. It’s getting to be quite the to-do list for the citizen of good conscience. Everyone wants to live sustainably
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AMWUA xeriscape landscape
In a 3.2-acre space hemmed in by traffic noise, office buildings and warehouse construction sits a living classroom. The University of Arizona’s Maricopa County Cooperative Extension is a place to learn by doing – plant and nurture desert landscapes, grow vegetables and herbs, or create a rainwater
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Close up of Phoenix water treatment center
The City of Phoenix began municipal water utility operations in 1907. Today, Phoenix Water treats and distributes tap water to 1.5 million customers daily, manages the city's sewer system, and handles wastewater treatment operations for 2.5 million residents in the Valley of the Sun. Our vast
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Photo of a canal and water features in the desert
Arizona’s legacy of carefully managing its water supplies over the years isn’t so much about preparing for drought. Not precisely. More than anything, it has been about Arizonans taking control of their own destiny. The years devoted to planning and investing from the creation of engineering water