Conservation Strategy

Address the largest water uses first. Dedicate your first efforts to the water guzzlers. There are many possible water conservation projects, so it helps to have a strategy. Don't get distracted or overwhelmed. Focus first on the water guzzlers to get the most bang for the buck.

Install devices, then change behaviors. A water-conserving device, like a low flow toilet, will save water with each use, regardless of who is using it, and the total savings will accumulate year by year. A water conserving behavior such as 5-minute showers is very important, but we cannot be certain that it will always occur. The presence of water conserving devices may make it easier to change behaviors.

Read your water bill. Tracking your water use is essential. It is very easy to read your water bill and monitor your progress by calculating your GPCD – gallons used per citizen each day. Just pencil this on the bill: Find the total gallons used, then divide it by the number of people in the house, then divide again by the number of days in the billing period. If you are under 35 gpcd, that's excellent! See this example.

Harvest rainwater. You can catch and store rainwater, either passively with swales (low spots in your yard) and small check dams in drainage ditches or activally with rainbarrels or larger tanks.  See examples.

Adopt a goal. The goal is used to measure your progress. We suggest a goal of 35 gallons per citizen per day  (gpcd), approximately one-third of the current average water use for a single-family residence in the Prescott AMA. Is this possible? YES, our studies have identified many local families that already meet this goal.