Campaign for Conservation - Your Water Connection, Tucson, Arizona

1. Conservation Corner June 2008 www.tucsonaz.gov/water
Xeriscape Your Water
Contest Winners
The Tucson region’s best at creating beautiful yards
Connection
NEWS & TIPS FOR TUCSON WATER CUSTOMERS
with low-water use vegetation and water saving
Thomas Liguore Home
techniques
were Join the Campaign for
honored
this month
by the
Conservation!
Arizona It’s an election year, and Pete
Department the Beak, Tucson Water’s
of Water Conservation mascot, is asking
Resources all Tucsonans to Elect to Save
and the Water! In our desert community,
Tucson it’s the right choice and the smart
Botanical choice. In fact, it’s one of the most
Gardens. important choices we can make.
The top winners of the 8th Annual Regional Xeriscape Pete’s Conservation Campaign Platform
Landscape Contest are: is focused on making your landscape
Homeowner Category as water efficient as possible. His top
priorities include:
Grand Prize and JD Dimeglio, Artistry in
Landscaping Award – Karen Martin and David Zavala
Home Harvest, store and use
First Place Homeowner – Thomas Liguore Home rain to water plants.
First Place Professional Residential – Scott Calhoun Your choices here range from
– Zona Gardens for the Newhouse Residence simple hills and depressions that
Public Works Category guide rainwater to your plants, to
installing and connecting gutters
Grand Prize – Tucson Department of Transportation –
and cisterns directly to your
Water Harvesting, Median Alvernon Way and 29th St.
irrigation system.
Community Xeriscape Leader – Lisa Shipek, Director
Watershed Management Group
Space does not allow the listing of all award winners. Campaign for Conservation
Visit www.azwater.gov/tama and click on xeriscape continued inside
contest to learn about all winners and their xeriscapes.
Have a question for Water 101 or a suggestion for a
topic? Call us at 791-4331 or e-mail to
TW_Web1@ci.tucson.az.us

2. Join the Campaign for Conservation Corner June 2008 www.tucsonaz.gov/water
Xeriscape Your Water
Conservation!
Campaign for Conservation continued from front to use water more
Contest Winners
The Tucson region’s best at creating beautiful yards
Connection
NEWS & TIPS FOR TUCSON WATER CUSTOMERS
Use grey water from your clothes wisely. Pete’s Beat with low-water use vegetation and water saving
Join the Campaign for
washer, shower, tub, or bathroom sink. the Peak Activity techniques
You can elect to save by using a hose to send water Book features Thomas Liguore Home were
from your clothes washer to your landscape plants loads of fun games, honored
rather than down the drain. Or, you might choose puzzles and ideas
for youngsters who want to get involved in
this month
by the
Conservation!
to simply collect water in your shower and use it to
the Campaign for Conservation. Kids who Arizona
irrigate your potted plants. It’s an election year, and Pete
Elect to Save Water can become a Junior Department the Beak, Tucson Water’s
Water C. O. P. (Conservation
Landscape with native and low water use plants. of Water Conservation mascot, is asking
On Patrol) and can write to
Once established, these plants need very little additional water Resources all Tucsonans to Elect to Save
Pete and let him know what
to thrive in our desert environment. Ask for advice at your local and the Water! In our desert community,
steps they’ve taken. Look for
nursery, or sign up to take a free Water$mart Workshop and Tucson it’s the right choice and the smart
the Activity Book on-line at
get hands-on training in designing and maintaining a lush, but Botanical choice. In fact, it’s one of the most
www.tucsonaz.gov/water,
low-water use landscape. Gardens. important choices we can make.
or call Tucson Water at
791-4331 for a copy. The top winners of the 8th Annual Regional Xeriscape Pete’s Conservation Campaign Platform
Visit www.tucsonaz.gov/water/conservation.htm for Landscape Contest are: is focused on making your landscape
more information on how you can benefit from all three Pete’s Campaign for Conservation provides a lot of as water efficient as possible. His top
planks of Pete’s Conservation Campaign Platform. help and encouragement to adults as well. Visit our Homeowner Category
priorities include:
web site to access informative booklets Grand Prize and JD Dimeglio, Artistry in
about ways to create desert-appropriate Landscaping Award – Karen Martin and David Zavala
Tucsonans have supported Pete’s
conservation messages for decades, landscapes, find and fix leaks in your Home Harvest, store and use
and thanks to your choices, our home or business, and reuse a portion First Place Homeowner – Thomas Liguore Home rain to water plants.
per person water usage over the of your water as grey water to keep your First Place Professional Residential – Scott Calhoun Your choices here range from
past five years has dropped by landscape green. – Zona Gardens for the Newhouse Residence simple hills and depressions that
more than 10%. But, as we face Our free Zanjero Program will send an Public Works Category guide rainwater to your plants, to
continuing drought, both here and experienced conservation specialist to installing and connecting gutters
Grand Prize – Tucson Department of Transportation –
along the Colorado River, we all your home to help you identify leaks and cisterns directly to your
Water Harvesting, Median Alvernon Way and 29th St.
need to continue making the right and learn how to reduce your water irrigation system.
choices each and every day. use. Call 791-3242 for an appointment. Community Xeriscape Leader – Lisa Shipek, Director
Watershed Management Group
Since Pete first encouraged the Election season is upon us, and it’s
community to save water 32 years our choice whether or not to join the Space does not allow the listing of all award winners. Campaign for Conservation
Visit www.azwater.gov/tama and click on xeriscape continued inside
ago, Tucson’s children have been Campaign for Conservation. If all of
his biggest supporters, and often us Elect to Save Water, we can make a contest to learn about all winners and their xeriscapes.
Have a question for Water 101 or a suggestion for a
convince their parents and siblings difference that really counts! topic? Call us at 791-4331 or e-mail to
TW_Web1@ci.tucson.az.us

3. On the Water Front
Conservation is Catching On!
Tucson is nationally recognized for our income customers who cannot
commitment to water conservation. The afford to take advantage of a
leadership shown by our Mayor and Council rebate program. The City is
is now being strengthened by the launching also moving ahead with plans
of a series of new water conservation to increase the citywide use of
strategies that will help our community rainwater harvesting and grey
become ever more water smart. water re-use.
Your voices were heard loud and clear We will be giving you more Assistant City
at the recent Conservation Town Halls information about the new water Manager,
sponsored by the Mayor and Council and conservation program during the next Karen Masbruch,
held inside and outside the City limits. few months and let you know how is serving as
What you told us is that you support the you can get involved. Thanks to all of Acting Director
water conservation programs that are in you who took the time to participate of Tucson
place today, but you also want the newly in the town hall and conservation Water and is
recommended programs to begin as soon as survey. Your ideas and suggestions are facilitating the
possible. always welcome. You can find more nationwide
You can be assured that we heard you information about water conservation search for a
and are moving forward with these new and the new programs on our web new Director.
conservation initiatives including: site and we’ll be happy to answer your Karen will be
questions and record your input as we authoring the
• a rebate program for low water use toilets continue this community conservation
in homes, apartments, and businesses On The Water
conversation. Front column
built prior to 1991
Karen Masbruch during the
• strong incentives for apartment complexes
Acting Director, Tucson Water interim.
to upgrade their irrigation systems, and
• helping restaurants and schools find
water savings in their kitchens Clearwater Quality Report —
Most recent water quality data (April 7 – May 7, 2008)
We are also evaluating a program that
could provide high efficiency toilets to low 61 Sodium (mg/L) (April 30)
3
72.5 Mineral (mg/L) (April 7 – May 7 avg.)
Visit the Tucson Water web site at www.tucsonaz.gov/water 196 Hardness (mg/L) (April 30)
Your Water Connection is produced by Tucson Water. To receive a copy, or to receive this 7.18 pH (S.U.) (April 11–14, May 5–7 avg.)
information in Spanish, call 791-4331 or mail your request to:
Tucson Water, Customer Information, P.O. Box 27210,
Neg Coliform Bacteria (April 10)
Tucson, AZ 85726-7210. 0.92 Chlorine level (mg/L) (April 7 – May 7 avg.)
City of Tucson TTY number: 791-2639
Si usted desea este documento escrito en español, por favor llame al 791-4331. 87.0 Temp (deg F) (April 7 – May 7 avg.)

4. Groundwater Quality Report - April 2008
System
Water Quality Zone 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Wide
Sodium (mg/L)* Average 53 60 54 46 53 55 37 43 51 45 50
77 Sampling Points Range 49-56 57-62 30-61 31-61 31-62 41-62 24-60 41-50 40-62 38-55 24-62
Mineral Content (mg/L)* Average 351 439 404 349 395 412 302 340 330 311 370
249 Sampling Points Range 188-584 418-449 220-462 193-446 176-451 305-445 180-442 221-447 204-440 198-447 176-584
Hardness (mg/L)* Average 260 188 176 139 163 177 134 173 135 102 162
77 Sampling Points Range 185-359 173-197 88-202 70-197 72-196 138-197 89-189 98-241 75-201 72-161 70-359
pH (S.U.) Average 7.9 8.0 8.0 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.7 7.9 7.9 7.9
249 Sampling Points Range 7.4-8.1 8.0-8.1 7.2-8.2 7.8-8.1 7.5-8.1 7.7-8.1 7.5-8.1 7.2-7.9 7.6-8.0 7.3-8.1 7.2-8.2
Temperature (deg F) Average 77 79 78 80 78 79 78 79 80 78 79
249 Sampling Points Range 73-79 75-83 75-82 76-85 70-84 73-82 73-81 73-82 73-84 71-82 70-85
Coliform Bacteria Testing
Report - April 2008
Groundwater
Quality Report
* mg/L means milligrams per liter; 1 mg/L = 1 teaspoon in 1,302 gallons
** 17.1 milligrams per liter (mg/L) = 1 grain per gallon; Therefore, the
system-wide hardness average as reported for April 2008: 162 mg/L With the exception of chlorine and coliform
divided by 17.1 = 9.47 grains per gallon. bacteria, none of the water quality parameters
reported here have U.S. Environmental Protection
To give you a more accurate measurement of the water quality in your Agency primary standards set for them. For more
neighborhood, the Tucson Water service area has been divided into information about primary and secondary water
10 zones based on differences in water pressure and water quality. quality standards, visit Tucson Water’s Web site at
For a detailed description of the zone boundaries, call 791-4331. www.tucsonaz.gov/water.