HOT TOPICS CAFÉREVENGE OF THE LAWN: WATER USE AND

CONSERVATION IN THE HIGH DESERT

Tuesday, September 20, 20166 - 7:30 p.m.

Murdoch Community CenterFacilitated by Jeffrey Downard, Department of Philosophy, NAU

PROGRAM6 p.m.Welcome and Introduction

Jona Vance, Director, Philosophy in the Public Interest

6:15 p.m.Community Dialogue

Jeffrey Downard, Department of Philosophy, NAU

Overarching question: How should northern Arizona meet future water needs? What should our priorities be?

1. Should we do more to incentivize and promote conservation?2. Should we expand the use of reclaimed water in our water portfolio? If so, in what ways?3. Which new water resources should the City of Flagstaff focus its efforts on?4. Should cities like Flagstaff and Sedona restrict growth to in order to meet future water needs?

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS, SUPPORTERS AND VENUE HOSTS!

7:20 p.m.Closing Questions and Recap of Discussion

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This informational handout was researched and written by Jeffrey Downard, Department of Philosophy, NAU, designed by Kaitlin Baker, Philosophy in the Public Interest, Visual Communications Major

Murdoch Community Center

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Should we do more to incentivize and promote conservation?

Fig. 1 Projected population growth and water resource needs based on different growth and conservation scenarios.

Figure 1

Figure 2

NOTE:An acre foot of water is the amount of water it takes to cover an acre of land with 1 foot of water. Equals 325,851 gallons. An average family requires 0.25 acre-feet of water per year.

4CURRENT AND FUTURE WATER NEEDS

Table 1Table 1. The allowable amount of water per year that the City can draw from each well field in order to ensure a sustainable yield.

Figure 3Fig. 3 Breakdown of the City of Flagstaff’s current water supply.

WATER CONSERVATION

Figure 4

Fig. 4 Cost to both the City and the consumer for different water conservation options, along with the potential volume of water saved (city-wide) under each option.

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RECLAIMED WATER

Reclaimed water is treated municipal wastewater. Flagstaff has two wastewater treatment facilities that treat Flagstaff’s wastewater to Arizona’s highest standard for reclaimed water.

Figure 5

Fig. 5 Current uses of reclaimed water. The right chart shows how the reclaim water that is delivered to consumers is allocated on an annual basis.

NOTE:Reclaimed water availability varies depending on the season. In January – March, reclaimed water accounts for 13% – 19% of total water supply. In April – July, reclaimed water makes up 21% - 30% of our total water supply.

Should we expand the use of reclaimed water in our water portfolio? If so, in what ways?

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NEW WATER RESOURCES

Figure 6

Fig. 6 Estimated cost of additional water resources over a ten year period. Estimates include upfront infrastructure costs, operation and maintenance, and electricity usage. The right Y axis is the volume/cost ratio and is a metric of cost-effectiveness The higher the ratio, the greater the volume of water supplied for a given cost. *Includes the estimated cost of water rights only. Drawing water from the Upper Colorado River basin faces many legal challenges.

Which new water resources should northern Arizona focus its efforts on?

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FLAGSTAFF

SEDONASedona’s water is not supplied by the city. There is a private water company for Oak Creek and another for Sedona. Sedona is a fairly small town (population 10,000), and they have already done quite a lot to incentivize homeowners to consider other landscaping alternatives to lawns.

POPULATION GROWTH

Of the 7,000 acres of land suitable for development within City limits, Flagstaff has designated 60% for open space and conservation. Development is allowed on the remaining 40%.

Picture Canyon and Observatory Mesa have recently been reserved for open space, adding over 2,700 acres of land within City limits that cannot be developed.

Should cities like Flagstaff and Sedona restrict growth in order to meet future water needs?

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NOTES:

SOURCESArizona Department of Water Resources. “Water Supply of the Eastern Plateau Planning Area,” Groundwater, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.City of Flagstaff-Utilities Division. “Utilities Integrated Master Plan: Water Resources Chapter,” 8 Apr. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.City of Flagstaff - Utilities Division. “Report to the Water Commission: Water, Wastewater, Reuse and Stormwater,” 11 May 2015. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.CDM Smith, EPA, and USAID. "2012 Guidelines for Water Reuse," (2012). US Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 2015.City of Flagstaff. “Open Spaces Commission - Recent Success,” Web. 2015.

NAU’s Philosophy in the Public Interest is non partisan and does not endorse any position with respect to the issues we discuss. Philosophy in the Public Interest is a convener for civil discourse.

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