2017-07-05 Water policy for new development a first step

Recently, the Prescott City Council amended its Water Management and Calendar Year 2017 Alternative Water Allocation Policy (www.prescott-az.gov/services/water/resources.php). Among other changes, the policy allows greater housing density for certain new subdivisions if the new homes are constructed to meet the EPA WaterSense water conservation standards.

The Citizens Water Advocacy Group (CWAG) supports water conservation for new development. However, because the WaterSense standards appear to have been developed for non-arid climates, they don’t adequately emphasize the potential impact of conservation of water for landscaping purposes. While the City has initiated an important step in promoting greater water conservation for new construction, even more attention should be placed on supplementing WaterSense standards with additional standards that reflect Prescott’s water situation.