Water Supply is Great Shape in Phoenix

You may have seen the 2008 water supply ratings recently reported by Sustain Lane. They did not give Phoenix a favorable rating for reliability of water supplies. They are mistaken.

Although we should use water wisely, Phoenix has ample water supplies for years to come:

• Phoenix does not depend upon the rainfall that occurs in the Valley for its water. Over one hundred years, the City has developed multiple water sources to create a diversified water portfolio.
• In recent years, water conservation efforts, efficient use of reclaimed water for non-potable use, extensive groundwater management, and aggressive leak detection have stretched our available water supplies.
• The City conducts effective drought management planning that ensures reliable supplies.

In the last 20 years, Phoenix's per person usage of water has dropped 20 percent. Total water use in Phoenix is no higher today than ten years ago.

Phoenix has gone even further than the sustainability requirements of the State of Arizona. The city has reduced its groundwater use to a minimum and is planning for a sustainable yield, as well as its assured 100 year supply, under conditions of long-term drought and global climate change — not just under normal conditions. And, Phoenix recycles 90 percent of its wastewater, using it in agriculture, energy production, urban irrigation of golf courses and cemeteries, aquifer recharge and riparian wetland maintenance.

Water conservation is promoted as a lifestyle, asking customers to think about water every time they use it.

Through these efforts, Phoenix water supplies have kept pace with demand. The City continues to plan for future growth.