AMWUA Blog
Drought: Five Things You Need To Know About This Rainy Winter
Many people are wondering what this rainy, snowy winter means for Arizona after more than two decades of drought. Here are five things we know right now....
Jan 23 2017
Desert Edibles: Cities Offer Full Menu Of Landscape And Gardening Classes
The Sonoran Desert is an incomparable place to hike, bike, run, horseback ride and bird watch. When it comes to foraging for food, it's not so grand. Even those knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the topic admit that sifting and straining food from desert flora is labor intensive. It is, however, a labor of love for people who crave the tastes of the desert. If you think you may be one of them -...
Jan 16 2017
Grease Coop: A Beautiful Solution To An Ugly Problem
Grease sent down drains in restaurant kitchens has plagued city sewer systems since they were built. The Tempe Grease Cooperative takes an artful step toward better controlling the ugly problem. The program saves money for the City of Tempe and its businesses and transforms a government regulation into a government benefit....
Jan 09 2017
AMWUA: Preparing For 2017 By Looking At 2016 Successes
Like you, AMWUA and its member cities already are working toward 2017 goals. At the same time, we're reviewing what went right in 2016. A look back provides a boost of confidence for us and we hope it will encourage you to get involved and help find ways to solve new and lingering water challenges. Here are a few examples of AMWUA’s work in 2016....
Jan 02 2017
In Memoriam: Steve Olson, 35 Years Dedicated To Water
Steve Olson arrived at AMWUA in the summer of 2005. He had the unenviable task of assuming the job of executive director from Roger Manning, who had been an institution at AMWUA for more than twenty years. Steve would face the challenge of guiding a non-profit through a difficult economic recession. But Steve was not new to the world of water policy or to city issues. His career in water spanned t...
Dec 26 2016
Five Water Challenges for Arizona from Avondale's Councilmember Iwanski
There wasn't much David Iwanski didn't know about Arizona water when he joined AMWUA's Board of Directors in 2014. Avondale Councilmember Iwanski trained as an attorney, spent four years in the Army and served as an aide to the late Arizona U.S. Congressman Eldon Rudd. It was Rudd who instructed him to learn everything he could about water and energy in the West. That led to a job with the U.S. Bu...
Dec 19 2016
Gilbert Grows Program To Help HOAs Lower Water Bills
In the last two years, the Town of Gilbert has more than doubled the number of Homeowners Associations enrolled in a free program that takes the guesswork out of landscape irrigation. The program walks HOAs through the steps that lead to thriving landscapes while using less water and saving money. That information fosters greater harmony among HOA board members, residents, property managers and la...
Dec 12 2016
Lawmakers Get Answer To Arizona’s Biggest Water Question
When I meet people and they find out I work in water, they always ask me this question: When are we going to run out of water? Arizona legislators - particularly those who were just elected - have the same concerns and questions about the state's water supplies. Many of these lawmakers from both urban and rural communities attended AMWUA's legislative forum on December 7th to get answers. AMWUA as...
Dec 05 2016
Water: A Conversation With Chandler Councilmember Rick Heumann
When City of Chandler Councilmember Rick Heumann joined the AMWUA Board of Directors six years ago he knew this about water: "I drank it." He knew Chandler had a water treatment plant and a wastewater treatment plant - and that he had been assigned to the board of an important regional water agency. When it came to water management, Mr. Heumann called himself a blank slate - but he wasn't really. ...
Nov 28 2016
The Art and Efficiency of Fountains in the Desert
Water is life and nowhere is that more apparent than in the desert. Fountains and pools of water were built into ancient cities, including desert cities, for both practical and aesthetic reasons. They provided access to water for human needs, to support livestock, to grow food crops and gardens. Water features also cool the air creating microclimates and mitigating noise. They allow city dwellers ...