With temperatures cooling down, Scottsdale is encouraging its water customers to take advantage of conservation programs.
Scottsdale residents consume more water compared to most other Arizona communities.
The city has one of the highest gallons-of-water-use per capita each day among municipal water providers statewide, according to the most recent figures from the state Department of Water Resources. The measurement is an assessment of how much residents consume on average.
In Scottsdale, residents go through an average of 223 gallons a day, compared with 109 in Phoenix and 111 in Mesa, the figures from 2011 show. Only five water providers out of 69 had higher consumption rates.
To promote smart water use and free up pocketbooks, Scottsdale’s water-conservation office offers myriad programs.
Rebates cost city $203K a year
The city gives out rebates to water-and-wallet conscious consumers, costing the city an average of $203,000 a year, according to records obtained by the Scottsdale Republic for 2008-13.
The rebates are available to customers who switch to water-friendly landscapes or install water-efficient toilets, shower heads, hot-water recirculation devices and irrigation controllers.
Hot-water recirculation devices allow hot water to reach the tap faster and eliminate the need to let the water run for a long time, according to the city.
Irrigation controllers curb water usage by giving out water only when plants need it, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
In Scottsdale, single-family residential customers who convert their high-water-use landscapes to a low-water-use — think grass to xeriscape — can apply for rebates of up to $1,500.
Scottsdale also offers rebates of up to $3,000 to customers who replace grassy turf with low-water landscaping in common areas.
“When you remove turf, that is the best way to reduce water use outside,” said Elisa Klein, the city’s water conservation coordinator.
Plants make a difference
Now is the time of year to plant new desert foliage, especially if it replaces water-thirsty grass.
This gives low-water-use plants time to form hardy root systems before the summer arrives, Klein said.
“This is the time when you would be planting or changing plants because it’s cooler out,” she said.
The city’s free landscape workshops kick off in October and run through early November.
They cover everything from plant care in the desert to edible gardening and keeping irrigation systems running smoothly.
“So much water use is behavior-related, especially outdoors,” Klein said.
Up to 70 percent of water use at home occurs outdoors, said Annie DeChance, public participation and outreach manager in the city’s Water Resources Department.
Scottsdale is encouraging residents to skip overseeding this cold season, as winter lawns can require more than 8,000 gallons of water for every 1,000 square feet of turf.
Homeowners also can request free irrigation audits from Scottsdale. Typically, a specialist will visits a customer’s home with instructions on how to program controllers, how to repair problems and how often to water landscapes, according to the city.
Saltwater softeners targeted
In a similar effort, Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane has proposed a new concept to deal with excess sodium levels in wastewater.
The idea, still in the exploratory stages, would give some form of credit to users who remove water-softening systems that add sodium to drinking water, which eventually becomes wastewater.
That could save the city money on high electricity costs resulting from treating the water once it flows down the drain.
Ultimately, it would benefit the environment with reduced electrical and water use, he said.
“We have to take several extra steps in our water-treatment program because of the extent of salt and sodium in wastewater,” Lane said. “It’s rather expensive. How much money would we save if we were to motivate our customers who have water softeners that are dependent upon adding salt to the water, and commercial enterprises, to eliminate those devices that contribute to the salinity problem?”
Lane, a past president and a member of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, said the savings ideally would be a trade-off of costs as well as revenue neutral.
Conceptually, the money saved from lower electrical costs in water treatment could be offered as credits, on customers’ water bills.
“We’re burying ourselves here in the Valley in salt and salt water,” Lane said. “If the city can structure a plan that is workable and sustainable, it could serve as a pilot program and an example for other cities.”