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Rainwater conservation efforts paying off for Tucson community

How a conservation group is keeping the community involved

The rainy days have passed, but a local group wants people to know how they can make it last.

By: Reyna Preciado

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TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — For the most part, the rain has passed in Tucson but making the most of that rainwater is important to many local water conservation groups.

One group is Watershed Management and they want people to know water conservation doesn’t have to be expensive. They have several models.

“Here you’ll see examples of all the different things you can do in your own home to conserve water, to support our local ecology, and to grow shade,” said Charlie Alcorn, the Program Manager at Watershed Management Group.

The group offers several classes, including a workshop on the rebate Tucson Water offers.

“We have a rainwater harvesting rebate up to $2,000 for customers. They take a workshop, they make a plan for their project and implement it at their home,” said Candice Rupprecht the Water Conservation Manager of Tucson Water.

Charlie Alcorn teaches the workshop at Watershed Management. He lets people know about their options.

There are passive harvesting systems, which feed into native plants. There’s rainwater harvesting systems, and there’s a gray water harvesting system, coming straight from the sink into the garden. All of their models keep waste to a minimum.

“If we were to collect it all, harvest it, use it for beneficial uses, we could be self reliant,” said Alcorn.

Tucson Water offers several rebates, including a low income grant to help fund a conservation system. Their rebate program is one of the largest in the country, keeping water use low.

“We’re using the same amount of water as a community that we used in the mid 1980’s with almost 40 percent more population,” said Candice with Tucson Water.

The city credits groups like Watershed Management for spreading the knowledge of water conservation.

If you’re interested in learning more about rainwater harvesting or water conservation, you can take one of their classes. They do recommend you bring a friend so you can have someone with you as you start to explore the many different ways you can conserve water straight from your home.

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Reyna Preciado is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after graduating Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Reyna by emailing reyna.preciado@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or Twitter.

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