Water is one of Arizona’s most precious and limited resources. Every gallon saved benefits your family, your neighbors, and future generations. This factsheet is intended for homeowners, renters, and household members in Arizona’s rural communities, particularly those outside Active Management Areas (AMAs). It suggests strategies for reducing water waste and increasing water use efficiency while maintaining a desired quality of life. It highlights low-cost, practical water-saving strategies with documented savings that any household can implement regardless of budget or location.¹ These strategies may also be useful for rural well owners; a separate factsheet designed for them can be accessed here wrrc.arizona.edu/conserve.
Approximately 237,000 Arizonans are served by small community water systems,2 defined as systems serving 1850 customers or fewer (15 to 1,850 service connections or regularly serves 25 to 1,850 year-round residents).¹ Many rely on groundwater pumped from basins experiencing some level of decline.3 Outside AMAs, there are no mandatory conservation requirements, meaning groundwater protection depends on voluntary action. The water savings of individual households can make a difference.4
Why Conservation Matters
Arizona has been in a prolonged drought for over two decades, with below-average precipitation recorded since the mid-1990s.5 Average temperatures in Arizona have also risen 2.5°F since the beginning of the 20th century, and historically unprecedented increases in annual average temperature are projected during this century.6 Together, reduced precipitation and rising heat are accelerating groundwater depletion across the state, making household conservation more important than ever. Continue reading.