 Why Conserving Water Matters
Tucsonans take pride in using water wisely, adopting Sonoran Desert-friendly lifestyles that make us one of the most water-efficient communities in the West. But when big things are happening like drought and warmer temperatures, we may sometimes wonder if our own individual efforts to save water really matter. Here’s a look across the decades at how important our actions are and will continue to be as responsible Sonoran Desert dwellers.
Past: Over the last 25 years, our customers have reduced the amount of water they use by an average of 30% per person. Thanks to your conservation efforts and the growth of the Tucson’s reclaimed water system, today we use the same amount of drinking water we did in the 1980s – despite serving 200,000 more people.
Present: We depend on the Colorado River as our primary water supply. In recent years, Tucson Water customers have used only about two-thirds of our annual share of river water. If we used the same amount per person as we did 25 years ago, we'd be using our entire yearly Colorado River allocation. Using less has allowed our community to store several years' supply in our aquifers for the future and leave water in Lake Mead to preserve the health of the river system. Most importantly, it means we can take future cuts to river supplies and sustainably thrive as a city.
Future: Tucson Water’s One Water 2100 Plan, adopted by Tucson’s Mayor and Council in 2023, lays out strategies for our community to prosper over the long term while stewarding our precious water resources. The plan accounts not only for a hotter and drier future where less Colorado River water is available, but also for a thriving, growing economy and community. \ In the plan, this scenario is called a “Sustainable Oasis.”
One Water 2100 calls for increasing use of underutilized resources like recycled water and stormwater, but it also counts on conservation and efficiency improvements by customers, with a goal of further reducing per-person water use 20% in the coming decades. To that end, Tucson Water is working to help customers become even more efficient, installing meters that provide more frequent usage information, offering new rebate options, and researching new conservation technologies that can be used in the community.
This is where each of us – the customers – come in. When we make individual efforts to fix leaks, install efficient appliances, plant and water smartly, it adds up, ultimately making the vision of a Sustainable Oasis possible.
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