NE Valley Times

While temperatures in the Valley reached unprecedented highs last month, Scottsdale reported a seven percent reduction in water usage compared to July 2022, saving nearly 180 million gallons.

Several factors contributed to this achievement. Scottsdale's grass removal rebate program experienced a 450 percent increase in participation leading up to July, resulting in the removal of 400,000 square feet of grass that no longer requires watering during peak heat months.

Scottsdale Water conducted an outreach campaign advising homeowners on efficient desert landscape watering practices, recommending irrigation no more than twice a week. The campaign highlighted that while Arizona’s hot summers demand more water, irrigation should run longer rather than more frequently. Residents were also encouraged to avoid watering between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to minimize evaporation and improve plant absorption.

The city continued to promote voluntary water reductions of at least five percent across the community, with residents responding positively.

The significant water savings occurred despite Phoenix experiencing average high temperatures of 115 degrees for the month and reaching 119 degrees on three separate days. In contrast, July 2022 saw an average high of 108 degrees with only 14 days hitting 110 degrees or above.

"Scottsdale residents are amazingly adaptive and are true leaders in water conservation," stated Brian Biesemeyer, executive director of Scottsdale Water. "To save millions of gallons of water during a period when temperatures hit +110 degrees 30 times in one month shows that people are listening and that they care about water sustainability here in Arizona."

Unlike last year’s savings driven by internal city efforts, much of this year's reduction is attributed to single-family residents. Overall, for the first seven months of 2023, Scottsdale reduced its water consumption by over 1.1 billion gallons.

Since initiating stage one of Scottsdale’s drought management plan, efforts have intensified citywide to conserve water. In January 2022, the city requested voluntary reductions from both residents and businesses.