The reductions fell largely on central Arizona agricultural users, with no reduction in water to municipalities. This resulted in a substantial cut to Arizona’s river supply, about 18 percent. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland declared the first-ever Tier 1 shortage for Colorado River operations. The river and its tributaries provide water to nearly 40 million people, both within and outside of the basin, and irrigates nearly 5.5 million acres of agricultural lands.Īs we entered 2022, U.S. The drainage basin area, about 246,000 square miles, includes all of Arizona, and parts of California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming - also known as the Colorado River Basin States. The Colorado River is roughly 1,450 miles long and begins its journey southward into Mexico from Colorado and Wyoming. 10 board meeting, he made the stark announcement: “Without strong action, the river is headed for disaster.” Of the collaboration, Tenney said, “It’s the principle of strength and numbers and speaking with one voice.” The shortages on the Colorado River are a serious concern, and at its Aug. “But we sure make it complicated to manage it.”įormed in 1969, AMWUA is a collaboration among 10 municipalities in Arizona, including the City of Phoenix, which together provide water to 3.7 million people - more than half of the state’s population. “Water is pretty simple,” said Warren Tenney, executive director of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA), when we spoke to him in August. Phoenix gets 40 percent of its water from the Colorado River, which for years has been severely impacted by drought, exacerbated by climate change, and subjected to a complicated management history. Water is life, especially in the desert, and for a growing city like Phoenix long-range planning and management of its resources is paramount.
All rights reserved.Colorado River Basin States continue to grapple with many factors impacting available water supplies, including severe drought, exacerbated by climate change (photo courtesy of U.S. “If the water meter’s not moving, you probably don’t have a leak,” Donley said.Ĭopyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. Check for leaks by watching your water meter when there’s no water running in the home. According to the EPA, the average family can lose 180 gallons a week from household leaks. Worn out toilet flappers and dripping faucets are also common causes of wasted water. “Usually, you’ll find it because you’ll have a muddy area or a soft area.” “Our number one is in landscaping because most of the landscaping plumbing is plastic, and so it’s much easier to break or leak,” Donley said. Though there weren’t any leaks detected at Harden’s house, leaks are common and can waste a lot of water. They also say to adjust sprinkler heads so they don’t spray sidewalks, driveways, walls, or buildings, and mow regularly to keep the grass from obstructing the sprinklers. If you want to make similar changes, the city recommends planting low-water-use plants and watching for signs of overwatering. Harden agreed to cut back on outdoor water use to see how much of a difference it makes. “At this point, we aren’t finding any leaks,” Mike Donley said. Donley’s team discovered two broken sprinkler heads, but no water was escaping from them. They checked the mainline to the house, the pipes inside, and the irrigation system.
“I’m very concerned I’m paying for someone else’s water.” So 3 On Your Side asked Donley AC and Plumbing to help us investigate. “I want to know where it’s going or if there is some type of leak,” Harden said. “That is absolutely ridiculous for a single person, 62 years old, living alone,” she said.Īccording to the City of Phoenix, the average person in the Valley uses about 120 gallons of water a day, adding up to about 3,600 gallons per month. Then last month, according to her bill, Harden used almost 30,000 gallons of water at her Phoenix home. For the next few months, the bills remained higher than usual. PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - A few months ago, Sharon Harden received a water bill that was more than her typical monthly charge.
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