updated Oct. 12, 2006
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Water Efficiency Information for Arizona Residents
The information provided here is intended to assist Arizona residents in using water efficiently. Thank you for contributing to Arizona’s culture of conservation!
ADWR Fact Sheets for Residents
EPA Using Water Efficiently: Ideas for Residents
Efficient water use can have major environmental, public health, and economic benefits by helping to improve water quality, maintain aquatic ecosystems, and protect drinking water resources. Efficient use of water, through behavioral, operational, or equipment changes, if practiced broadly can help mitigate the effects of drought.
Review the EPA's Ideas for Residents for information on how to use water efficiently in the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room and outdoors. Also included is information on efficient fixtures, appliances and leaks.
Water-efficient Landscapes
Xeriscape (zîr'ĭ-skāp')
A landscaping method that employs drought-resistant plants in an effort to conserve resources, especially water. |
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Xeriscape: Landscaping with Style in the Sonoran Desert is an illustrated guide that covers xeriscape principles, landscape planning and design, installation, maintenance, and resources. Beautiful photos provide inspiration and design ideas.
Developed by the Arizona Department of Water Resources, 2000. Visit any ADWR office for a copy. |
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Good Reasons to Take Out Your Grass offers practical advice and tips for removing a lawn so that low-water use plants can be planted or to make room for new features such as patios and planters.
Developed by the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA). |
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Desert Lawn Care Guide offers practical advice and tips for maintaining a healthy and water-efficient lawn.
Developed by the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA). |
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Landscape Watering by the Numbers shows how to calculate the water plants and lawns need, how much water irrigation provides, and how to develop a seasonal watering schedule.
Developed by the Cities of Mesa and Scottsdale for AMWUA (Arizona Municipal Water Users Association), 2003. |
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Guidelines of Landscape Drip Irrigation Systems covers drip irrigation in detail, including design, materials, installation, maintenance, operation and repair. It includes estimated water requirements for plants in Phoenix and Tucson, watering frequencies, and a simplified approach for determining landscape watering schedules. The Guidelines are useful for homeowners, contractors, developers and municipalities.
Developed by the Arizona Landscape Irrigation Guidelines Committee with funding from the Arizona Department of Water Resources, 1999. Reprinted by AMWUA in 2001. |
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The Highlands Center for Natural History Wildscaping brochure covers landscape design in the Central Arizona Highlands including plants for different environments and how to create backyard wildlife habitat.
Available only at the Highland's Center in Prescott. |
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How Often and How Long to Water explains how to determine a plant's water needs.
Developed by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. |
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ADWR and the Tucson Botanical Gardens are co-sponsors of the Annual Xeriscape Contest. This important contest promotes the use of native plants, water use awareness and a commitment to the long-term resolution of water supply issues in the Tucson area. |
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Drop Your Water Use is a program designed to educate retail nursery customers on how to plan and maintain a healthy and water efficient landscape. The program is a voluntary collaboration between ADWR and nurseries that uses a simple water drop system to identify plants with similar water requirements. |
Low Water Use Plants
ADWR Regulatory Plant Lists are used to regulate public medians and rights-of-way in Arizona’s five Active Management Areas (AMAs). Jurisdictions within many AMAs officially adopt the local ADWR list and incorporate it into ordinances and design guidelines for development. The lists also serve as a non-regulatory resource for residents. The lists were developed independently with the assistance of plant experts from each AMA. |
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Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert showcases over 200 low-water-use plants, all of which are included in the Phoenix AMA Low Water Use Plant List. It includes photos and information about each plant's growth characteristics and water requirements.
Developed by Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA), 2004. |
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The Arizona Native Plant Society has a variety of brochures that provide photos and information about plants that are native to Arizona desert regions, or are non-native but low water users. The brochures include information about planting, landscaping tips, water use, and maintenance. |
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The Arboretum at Flagstaff provides extensive information on high-elevation plants native to the Colorado Plateau. Arboretum resources include photos and information on growing conditions, transplanting or planting from seed, and mail-order sources. |
Rainwater Harvesting
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Harvesting Rainwater for Landscape Use provides information about planning and installing residential water harvesting systems. It includes information on calculating plant water use requirements and historic rainfall for many Arizona cities and towns.
Developed by the University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension and the ADWR Tucson AMA, 2004, 2006. |
Gray Water
Gray water is defined as wastewater, collected separately from sewage flow that originates from a clothes washer, bathtub, shower or sink, but not from a kitchen sink, dishwasher or toilet.
In general, gray water is an excellent source of water for household gardening, composting, and lawn and landscape irrigation. Gray water must be used so that it does not run off your own property. |
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