Today, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council unanimously approved a water conservation ordinance targeting large water users, marking another significant milestone in the “Sustainable Desert Development Policy” initiated by Gallego in early 2022. This new policy follows years of strategic planning to ensure responsible management of Phoenix’s water resources. In her 2023 State of the City address, Gallego emphasized her efforts to develop these guidelines, and today, another crucial component of this policy suite has become law.
“Passing our new large water user ordinance is another important milestone in our longstanding commitment to a comprehensive approach to protect our water resources,” said Mayor Gallego. “This new policy will ensure we are balancing our economic development priorities with the critical need to secure our water supply for generations to come. Phoenix will continue to lead the way both in policy and practice to ensure we sustain our most precious resource.”
Other components of the Sustainable Desert Development guidelines, passed last June, include rezoning stipulations that regulate non-functional turf, mandate EPA WaterSense or similar certification, require planting drought-tolerant and native plants, set outdoor irrigation standards, enhance standards for swimming pools, and more.
The new ordinance places additional requirements on new projects estimated to use more than 250,000 gallons per day. These large water users must submit a water conservation plan approved by the Phoenix Water Services Department. Projects projected to use more than 500,000 gallons per day must submit a conservation plan, meet at least 30 percent of their consumptive water demand with recycled or conserved water, and fit within the City’s existing Water Resource Portfolio.
Today’s City Council vote builds upon decades of forward-thinking water policies in Phoenix that benefit the region. These new policies complement the City Council’s vote last year to leave up to 150,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead over the next three years, as well as Gallego’s 2023 announcement to create an Advanced Water Purification facility that will recycle nearly 60 million gallons of water per day.
