To achieve the City Council’s goal of water conservation leadership in all sectors, City staff are working with national experts and Flagstaff community members on developing the Water Conservation Strategic Plan.
 
The Water Conservation staff have finished the initial data collection for the strategic plan process and are working to narrow down a long list of water conserving measures (actions) for modeling and cost-benefit analyses. Water Conservation staff are garnering feedback from the public through community surveys, open houses, and presentations at community groups.
 
Staff will present the overarching strategic plan process, the current timeline, and strategy for public input, and a detailed overview of the measures under consideration.

Completed Activities:

• Data Input - Flagstaff water-use trends 2011-2017
• Convene and meet with Advisory Committee
• Qualitative staff analysis of conservation measures list
• Public Meeting - September 29th (Festival of Science)
• SurveyMonkey on Conservation Measures
• Strategic Plan website (www.flagstaff.az.gov/wcPlan)

Upcoming Activities:

• Analyze selected Conservation Measures for cost-benefit and total water conserved
• Create scenarios for staff and public to consider
• Use selected scenario for the creation of draft Strategic Plan

Upcoming Outreach:

• Open House on Conservation Measures (December)
• Peak Democracy Survey on Conservation Measures
• Community group meetings (Neighborhood associations, clubs, etc. - throughout the process)
• Open House on Scenarios (Winter)
• Peak Democracy and SurveyMonkey surveys on Scenarios
• Open House on Plan drafts (Spring)

The current list of Water Conserving Measures (actions) included for consideration in the Strategic Plan are as follows:

Conservation Measures we are already doing:

• Lawns that are replaced with low water plants are eligible for rebates
• Customers can only water their lawns every other day based on their address
• Rainwater harvesting systems are eligible for rebates
• City of Flagstaff regularly checks the water system for leaks and wasted water
• City of Flagstaff provides water conservation information at community events and online
• Demonstration gardens educate the public on the benefits of low water landscapes
• The City of Flagstaff enforces regulations that address water-wasting practices
• Businesses are given rebates to improve water efficiency
• Water conservation staff are available to provide in-person water checkups for businesses
• Water efficient toilets are eligible for rebates
• Water efficient spray nozzles for dish washing are given to restaurants and commercial kitchens
• Water efficient showerheads and aerators are given to the public
• Water conservation staff are available to provide in-home water checkups for residents

 Conservation Measures we are considering for the future

• City of Flagstaff helps customers calculate appropriate water use for a healthy landscape
• Stormwater is captured and used on outdoor plants
• Water meters can provide water data minute by minute rather than monthly
• Outdoor water use is billed at a higher rate than indoor water use
• New building plans are reviewed for extra water efficiency opportunities
• All government buildings use , practices and fixtures
• Free training is provided for landscapers on outdoor water conservation methods
• All school buildings use water-efficient practices and fixtures
• New developments must have a dedicated water meter for irrigation
• Irrigation professionals are required to be certified in water efficiency practices
• Landscaping design standards for new buildings are more water efficient and climate appropriate
• New developments must have very water efficient showerheads and faucets
• Water from sinks and showers can be reused to flush toilets
• Hotels and motels are targeted to improve water efficiency
• Golf courses are targeted to improve water efficiency
• Cooling towers are targeted to improve water efficiency
• Individual water meters are installed for each apartment in a building and each business in a strip mall to track water usage
• Water efficient irrigation systems are eligible for rebates
• Water-efficient washing machines are eligible for rebates
• Hot water recirculation that save water (by delivering hot water instantly to water fixtures) are eligible for rebates
• Low-income customers can receive financial assistance to fix water leaks