Fewer water cuts than earlier anticipated in Arizona; conservation is still key

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — A record-breaking wet winter last season means more water is coming to Arizona. But don’t go out and start watering your lawns just yet.

“We should always regard water as the most precious resource and use it carefully,” said Sarah Porter, the Kyl Center for Water Policy Director at ASU. This year, the federal government is letting the state get more water from the Colorado River because the water in Lake Mead is higher, but restrictions are still in place.

“While we can enjoy a little bit of relief we really need to get back to where we have been trying to go,” said Porter.

This year, the state is getting about an extra 80,000 acre-feet of water from the river, which is enough to provide water to roughly 240,000 homes for a year. Cities like Scottsdale report they will be getting around an extra 1,000 acre-feet, equal to about 3,000 homes in water usage.

However, it’s important to note that the state alone has been allocated more water. Cities like Scottsdale, Phoenix and others that rely on the Colorado will continue to practice water conservation by reducing city use by at least 3 percent. It’s partially because the river’s history still shows unfavorable conditions.

“The Colorado River seems to be having diminished flows over the long term,” said Porter.

What’s also going to help, according to Porter, is for homeowners to practice water conservation but specifically for water being used outside, like water lawns. It’s that water that can’t be reused; the water you use inside your home, like the sink, is typically taken back to a plant to be treated and put back into the system so it is not wasted.

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