At first glance, Arizona’s booming population and decades-long drought might seem like a recipe for soaring water demand. Instead, many cities across the state are telling a different story.
From Tucson to Phoenix, residents are using significantly less water per person than they did a generation ago. Cities credit everything from replacing thirsty grass lawns with desert landscaping to installing more efficient plumbing fixtures and encouraging conservation through rebate programs.
The result is a surprising trend: Arizona has added hundreds of thousands of residents while many communities have reduced the amount of water each person uses every day.
Cities cutting down usage
In Tucson, the average resident used about 121 gallons of water a day in 1996. Today, that number is about 74 to 76 gallons, according to Tucson Water’s FY 2023-24 Water Conservation Program Report, which attributes the decline to tiered water rates, conservation education and rebate programs…