Water Shortages in Phoenix due to the Drought

According to the official Sky Harbor measuring station, Phoenix has only collected 0.06 inch of rain since June 15. And, while most of the water that we use in the Phoenix area is imported from the Colorado River, that river also supplies over 40 Million people in 6 other states. The problem here is that we’re currently taking more water from the rivers and lakes in a year than is being replenished from the rain runoff. Colorado has seen a below-average runoff in all but three years since 2000 and many of the lakes and reservoirs are less than half full.

The water shortages first affect the farmers who have lower priority than houses and businesses but that still affects us because it raises the costs of food and affects our state’s economy overall. That being said, Phoenix has gotten a lot better over the last few years at using less water but it still isn’t enough.

How You Can Help By Saving Water

Taking steps to save water doesn’t just help the rest of Arizona, it can also help lower your water bill. That should be motivation enough to start cutting back on your water usage. You don’t even need to make drastic changes to your lifestyle or home to make a difference, just try some of these easy tips to lower your water bill:

Tips for Indoor Water Saving

• Check all faucets, pipes, and toilets for leaks.
• Install water saving showerheads and ultra-low-flush toilets.
• Take shorter showers.
• The Comfort System (#1 method) – “Instant” hot water circulation device.
• Never use your toilet as a wastebasket.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator rather than in hot water.
• Rinse vegetables in a full sink or pan of water.
• Fully load your dishwasher before running.
• Rinse dishes in a full sink or pan of water.
• Wash full loads of laundry or adjust the water level if your washer has that option.

Tips for Outdoor Water Saving

• Don’t over-water landscaping – you may also consider switching to rock landscape which is quite common in the Phoenix area.
• Water your lawn or garden early in the morning or late in the evening.
• Adjust sprinklers so that they don’t water the sidewalk or street.
• Don’t water on cool, rainy or windy days.
• Equip all hoses with shut-off nozzles.
• Use drip irrigation systems.
• Plant drought-tolerant or low water-use plants and grasses (cacti are always great).
• Use shrubs and ground cover to reduce the amount of grass.
• Place mulch around plants to reduce evaporation and discourage weeds.
• Set your mower blades one notch higher, since longer grass means less evaporation.
• Use a pool cover to cut down on water evaporation.
• Use a bucket instead of a hose to wash your car.
• Use a broom rather than a hose to clean sidewalks, driveways, loading docks and parking lots.

If you’ve noticed that some of your faucets leak, even if just barely, you can reduce your water bill just by having it fixed. Just give us a call at (480) 304-2074 to schedule a free home evaluation.

The Water Leakage Problem

Water leaks are not only a nuisance, they can be quite costly – not to mention environmentally harmful for areas with low rainfall like Phoenix, Arizona. The biggest problem with leaks is that they can go undetected for such a long time that what seems like a small increase in your water bill can add up exponentially. And, sometimes, cause health problems and expensive damage to your home.

A few facts about leaks from the United States Environmental Protection Agency:

• The average household’s leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, or the amount of water needed to wash 270 loads of laundry.
• Household leaks can waste more than 1 trillion gallons annually nationwide. That’s equal to the annual household water use of more than 11 million homes.
• Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.

That is whole lot of water being wasted and a lot of money going down the drain – no pun intended – through higher water bills.

Determining if You Have a Water Leak

The first step to take in preventing leaks in your home is to first determine if you have a leak. You can check for leaks on a regular basis to ensure no new leaks occur throughout the year. Checking for a leak is as simple as checking your water meter:

• First, make sure that water is not being used inside or outside of your house.
• Next, locate your water meter and check the leak indicator for any movement. Depending on the brand of your meter, the leak indicator could be a small triangular-shaped dial or a small silver wheel that rotates when water is flowing through the meter. If the dial is moving, chances are, you have a leak.
• Alternatively, you could take a meter reading, wait 1 to 2 hours, and then take another reading (making sure not to use water during this time). If the reading has changed, you have a leak.

You should check for leaks a few times a year to make sure that any new leaks don’t go unnoticed for an extended period of time. If you’ve found that you have a leak, the next step will be to narrow down the location of the lead to either inside your home or outside your home (such as from pipes running into your home.)

Finding the Water Leak

To narrow down whether the leak is coming from inside or outside your home, follow these steps:

• First, locate the main shut off valve for your home and shut off the water at the valve. Typically, you will find the shut off valve in the basement or garage directly behind an outdoor faucet, or outside below an outdoor faucet.
• Next, you’ll once again check the leak indicator for movement or use the meter reading method, making sure not to use any water during this period. If the leak indicator stops moving or there is no change in the meter readings, then you have a leak inside of the house. If the leak indicator continues to move or there is a change in the meter readings, then the leak is outside between the meter and the house.

Once you’ve narrowed down where the leak may be, you can then start looking for signs of a leak such as:

• Damp, moist or wet spots
• Mold or mildew buildup
• Cracks in your foundation
• Discoloration in your walls or ceilings
• Warm spots on the floors – particularly concrete floors
• Smells and odors
• The sound of trickling water when no water is being used.

If you’re unable to locate the leak, you may need to contact a plumber for assistance.

In the next article we’ll discuss some more in-depth methods of locating a water leak in common areas of your home.

What Water Softeners Do

As explained in more detail in our previous article, a water softener works by removing contaminates and minerals from your water. As water passes through the ground it picks up different minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium which cause your water to be “hard”. Hard water can cause problems with your plumbing, reduce the lifetime of your appliances, cause skin irritations and make it harder to clean.

In dry areas, such as Phoenix, Arizona, the tap water is usually much harder than in other areas. This is why water softeners are so common in the Phoenix area. The question, though, is whether they’re really worth it and what are the disadvantages to installing one. First, we will review the benefits of water softeners and then discuss the disadvantages.

Pros of Water Softeners

• Improves effectiveness of soaps, shampoo and detergents, reducing the amount needed for washing and cleaning.
• Soft water results in cleaner and shinier glassware, silverware, mirrors, plumbing fixtures, counters and floors, etc.
• The water leaves skin feeling softer and hair feeling smoother.
• Reduces the amount of soap curd build up.
• Results in softer clothing.
• Extends the life of appliances that use water and reduces the number of repairs needed.

Cons of Salt-Based Water Softeners

• The main disadvantage is the cost – units can cost from several hundred to several thousand while there are also additional costs with maintenance and the purchase of the salt used in the unit.
• Soft water, when used for watering plants, can cause your plants to die. This is due to the high concentration of salt in the water which causes the plant to die of thirst.
• Soft water will also harm soil and the environment as it passes through the soil leaving salt behind. The water used in your home can also make its way back to the city’s water source and cause harm to local farms and landscape.
• The high salt content also makes the water undrinkable without a reverse osmosis unit. Unfortunately the reverse osmosis unit adds additional costs and wastes a significant amount of water – at least a gallon of water is wasted to every gallon it produces.

While most of the disadvantages involve salt-based water softeners, they are the most commonly used. There are, however, some that are not salt-based and would eliminate many of the disadvantages, other than cost.

In fact, Arizona State University completed a study in 2011 and discovered the most promising technology for softening water without salt is the template assisted crystallization process. It tested four types of water softener not using salt: capacitive deionization, electrically induced precipitation, template assisted crystallization, and electromagnetic water treatment.

Another route you can take to reduce the harm caused by a water softener, should you choose to install one, would be to only attach the unit to your hot water line. This would allow you to take advantage of the benefits of softer water when cleaning, while reducing the negative impact it has.

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For plumbing services in Anthem or Phoenix, contact us for assistance.