Scottsdale is working on its first sustainability plan and will host two workshops next week to provide an overview of sustainability and hear from residents.

On Monday, May 16, the workshop will be held at the Community Design Studio, 7506 E. Indian School Road, and on Tuesday, May 17, it will be held at the Florence Ely Nelson Desert Park, 8950 E. Pinnacle Peak Road.

Both workshops run from 6-7:30 p.m. and contain the same information. Space is limited and people can register through the city’s website. 

Last year, after the Bureau of Reclamation declared a Colorado River shortage, Scottsdale enacted “Stage 1” of its drought management plan. The city asked residents and businesses to conserve more and voluntarily reduce their water use by 5%. So far, Scottsdale says resident and commercial use is down 2.5% while the city has cut its water use by 8% overall by upgrading fixtures, fixing leaks, and recycling water, among other things.

Scottsdale says 70% of residential water use is outdoors and promotes these conservation tools:

• Adjust irrigation timers. Residents can sign up for a monthly reminder on adjusting their water by texting WHENTOWATER to 33222.
• Sign up for WaterSmart. This new portal allows users to manage their water use and set up notifications. Go to ScottsdaleAZ.gov and search “WaterSmart.”
• Convert grass areas. Arizona-friendly landscape requires less than half the water that grass requires. Plus, residents may qualify to receive a rebate for the conversion.
• Create a water budget. By using water calculators such as amwua.org/water-use-calculator, residents can determine how much they use and if their water usage is normal for their house/family size.
• Request a free Outdoor Water Efficiency Check from an irrigation specialist. On average, Scottsdale Water experts can save a customer 4,000 gallons of water per month.