Using water in the desert

Some cities like Tucson, Las Vegas and Denver have had to put restrictions on residential water use to cope with shortages. Two years ago, when reservoirs of the Salt River Project were lower, the city of Phoenix asked water customers to reduce their water use voluntarily. Ray Quay, with the Phoenix Water Services Department, says mandatory restrictions probably won't be needed here for at least three to seven years, depending on the length and severity of the current drought.

Quay on current water rules

Quay says, however, it is possible that Valley water users will have to live with mandatory restrictions in the future. You might be asked to water only your trees, but let your grass die. He says, when the restrictions are lifted, it would be easier to restore or replant grass than to replace trees.

Quay on possible mandatory restrictions

For now, Quay says the best course of action is to conserve water in ways that don't have a severe impact on your lifestyle. The Water Use It Wisely program has lots of ideas for doing that.