In a rapidly growing desert metropolis such as Phoenix, the question of which water conservation measures and factors actually save water and which do not is an obviously important one. The water-related decisions made today and in the years to come will have lasting impact on the future of this area, including upon its sustainability. Estimates from the City of Phoenix suggest that, in non-SRP-areas, water demand will exceed water supply by the year 2025--absent droughts or intervention.

This report documents and analyzes the results of a multivariate regression analysis designed to estimate the effects on residential, single-family water consumption of a host of factors, particularly water conservation policies.

As a result of high growth rates, physically and legally limited water supplies, drought, economic constraints, and relatively little comprehensive water resource planning and management, water supplies are stressed in some parts of Arizona. The Arizona Department of Water Resources has collected and synthesized currently available water-related information for the State of Arizona into a “water atlas,” organized by planning area.