With Arizona’s largest reservoirs dropping to all-time lows, the city of Phoenix has declared a Stage 1 water alert and activated its water management plan.

The city is also reminding people that there are a number of things that homeowners can do to conserve water.

For most households the bulk of their water consumption takes place outdoors.

An acre of grass uses a million gallons of water per year, so the city says it’s important for people to keep an eye on how much they water. Automated timers should be checked about once a month, and those who rely on sprinklers should make sure not to leave them running too long.

“A lot of our residents are radically over watering," said Max Wilson, the city’s water conservation coordinator. "When it comes down to how much water does your grass need, most of us are just guessing.”

He says that fixing leaky faucets and toilets is a way to save water indoors.

"The biggest problem that we have throughout our house, in one way or another, are leaks. These leaks can be those little drips you see coming out of your faucet, they can be a toilet that’s running all the time, but together these leaks make up most of our indoor water waste," Wilson said.