Saving Water and Money at Home in Arizona Step 1: Understanding Residential Water Rates
With drought lingering for over a decade in the desert southwest, and continued population growth projected, water conservation is a concern for many Arizonans. Individuals, businesses, and municipalities have all implemented measures to encourage water conservation and ensure a more sustainable water future for all of Arizona. Many municipal water providers have implemented water rate structures that reward savvy consumers who use less water at home. Although these structures can be a little difficult to understand at first, knowing how water rates are implemented is the key to unlocking savings on residential water bills. Consumers need to know the amount of water used as well as the costs associated with that water in order to begin implementing water conservation measures in a practical manner at home. This guide describes the increasing block rate structure, which is commonly used by water providers that serve residential areas in Arizona. The types of fees and measurement units associated with a typical residential water bill are also described in detail. Pima County and Maricopa County are the most populated areas of the state, so some additional information is provided for the major cities in those counties at the end of this document. The costs for potable residential water in the major cities of Maricopa and Pima Counties are provided in a table along with a worksheet that can be used to create a personalized rate structure. Use this information to determine how to maximize savings at home and do your part to conserve this precious resource.
- water
- water rates
- efficiency
- money
- xeriscape
- conservation