Arizona's failure to address water conservation.

[goodtimes]

So we have installed a small area of fake grass for them to play on.

I keep thinking about doing the same. My water use is a bit higher than I like (1751 gallons for the month)....but I'm trying to get some trees to grow and provide some shade (good excuse, eh?).

It is really hard to convince people to conserve water when the local government is trying to attract businesses like the now defunct Gatoraid deal....they were offering them 500,000 gallons per day! Golf courses...don't get me started! A conversation with a fellow whos employer services the pumping stations at a number of the local courses brought up the fact that they have the ability to pump 1,000,000 gallons per day, per course!!!!! A million freekin' gallons per day!!!

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

ahhhhhhhhh! the good ole' days..........!

I remember driving north up Scottsdale Road and going plinking with the 22 with my Dad up in no mans land!

Back when there was plenty of water!



(borrowed pic...approaching Phoenix 1972)

 

[Clutch]

(borrowed pic...approaching Phoenix 1972)

That made me think of this...

 

[SOAZ]

When I first came out to AZ I was suprised that, in the middle of the desert, most people had no concept of water conservation.
I don't know if it makes a big difference..
Growing up in Southern California everyone I knew always put rocks or something in their toilets water reservoir to lesson the amount of water used, we all had the annoying low flow things in the shower heads, always turned off the faucest when brushing our teeth etc etc etc. Out in az. I've yet to meet anyone, albeit the only people I ever find myself brushing my teeth next to are girls, that does these little things to conserve water.
It may make an inperceptable change, but you'd think that the govt out here would at least be making the same effort to change peoples thinking...

 

[calamaridog]

fake grass

http://www.easyturf.com/

This is the distributor of Fieldturf in Socal. Fieldturf is a leading brand of synthetic grass and has a life expectancy of several decades. They have some installations in Phoenix area that are around 15-20 years old and still look fantastic.

If you look at the total cost of installation, synthetic lawns make good sense. I spent about 10 minutes per month maintaining mine - just a quick rake to remove some debris.

The synthetic lawn surface is also softer than grass and makes a wonderful surface for sports and playgrounds too. The rubber fill material they use is often made from old sneakers and tires.

I believe we will see more and more of this stuff as fresh water is needed for consumption and hygiene instead of lawns and such.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I'm also a Prescott dweller. I too have heard the old timer stories about ferns in the forest and snow pack that would last into the spring months. I ride my mountain bike about 120 miles a week in the forests around here and man, the forest is dry, chewed up and dusty.

There are plenty of dry creek beds around here full of rounded river rocks. Most haven't seen enough water to round a rock in decades. While I think water restrictions should have been implemented in Arizona 50 years ago, i think bigger forces are at work here. Mama nature has probably given this part of the world her water rations for the next millinium. Hope you aren't too thirsty.

 

[DaktariEd]

I've been harping on Phoenix water waste/overconsumption for >20 years...but now it's spreading!

Am I the only one around here that finds these "communities" with LAKES of all things, an absurd, asinine, ludicrous waste of water? Do you have any IDEA how much water is lost to evaporation? They are ALL OVER Phoenix and are now showing up here in Tucson! ****** are these people thinking???

 

[MaddBaggins]

Thats the one that bothers me most Ed. The subdivisions with their own lakes, right after that I hate all the golf courses and then grass lawns.

We bought our house 4-1/2 years ago. It had a front yard full of grass, an almond tree and an orange tree. Now it has agave's, barrells, yuccas, ocotillo and rocks. My water usage dropped dramatically. The only flowers we plant now are desert wildflowers. They do require some water, but not a ton. We got a new dishwasher, with low water use functions and we use them. No one in my household takes long showers and all our toilets are 1.6 gallon flush. And to some of you this may sound a little nasty, but if the only thing in the bowl is a little pee, let it sit till next time. That saves a lot of water.

This is the desert and wasting water is wrong.

 

[calamaridog]

And to some of you this may sound a little nasty, but if the only thing in the bowl is a little pee, let it sit till next time. That saves a lot of water.

If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down

 

[Doin_It]

Calamaridog stated -

Yes, but a good amount of our water is used for sanitation

I read an interesting article a year or 2 ago, about the new waterless urinals that the State of CA. wanted to use in all its buildings. Guess what, the plumbing union fought it in court, and they aren't being used. I forget how many millions of gallons that would have saved.

We use a low flush toilets from Aus. in our house. Cost me twice as much to have them put in, but they use a 2 button system, 1 for "little jobs" 2 liters per flush, bigger button for "bigger jobs" 6 liters/flush. They never plug due to it being a 4" discharge vs. the 2" 5 gallon flush of North American toilets.

Water will be the next issue, not oil.

 

[crawler#976]

If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's [brown flush it down

...that's exactly what's posted on the bathroom wall of the Cleator, AZ. bar.

 

[MaddBaggins]

Calamaridog stated -



I read an interesting article a year or 2 ago, about the new waterless urinals that the State of CA. wanted to use in all its buildings. Guess what, the plumbing union fought it in court, and they aren't being used. I forget how many millions of gallons that would have saved.

We use a low flush toilets from Aus. in our house. Cost me twice as much to have them put in, but they use a 2 button system, 1 for "little jobs" 2 liters per flush, bigger button for "bigger jobs" 6 liters/flush. They never plug due to it being a 4" discharge vs. the 2" 5 gallon flush of North American toilets.

Water will be the next issue, not oil.

I'm in the plumbing supply business. Cochise county AZ now requires all new construction to have waterless urinals and all replacements to have waterless. We sell a number of them down there and a few here in Pima county as well. They haven't gotten real popular yet. I don't understand the plumbing union in CA fighting it though. It still requires a plumber to set the drain and the urinal, just no water supply.
I bet your toilets from Aus. are Caroma. We've sold a few.

 

[Doin_It]

Yes they are Caroma, saw them when I used to work in Aus. and wanted them put in when we built 4 years ago. Just keep a toilet brush handy as with less water in the bowl, every once in a while you need a bit of a scrub. Other then that everyone should have one.

I'm sure like everything new the waterless urinals will take time, makes sense to me. Never seen one in action but why not use it.

 

[devinsixtyseven]

The waterless urinals are in use from eastern CO to western KS, along I70 at the rest stops. Dunno if they're in other parts along I70 west as well.

Phoenix's aquifer has dropped about 600 feet or something, I don't remember the number off the top of my head. All those expensive golf course developments will slowy crack their foundations over the next 10-20 years, and wiser heads will say "I told you so."

Denver has a similar problem but uses surface water. Too many people move here from watery suburban areas and expect green grass, fountains, driveway car washing, spacious green golf courses and all the other trappings of wasteful water use in a high plains desert, all because they wanted to live in a place with 300 days of sun a year, mountains in the background, and green golf courses. It's not just AZ that's having trouble, it's any metro area in a mild desert environment, where people move for the weather and then try to make it look like Georgia.

-Sean