Water Usage Is Down Slightly, According To ADWR Report

By Tammy Gray-Searles
   Nearly 10,693 acre feet of water, or more than 3.48 billion gallons, was pumped to meet demands in Navajo County in 2008, according to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, which recently provided a report to cities to help them manage their water usage.
   The numbers include only community water systems that reported their usage to the department, not individual wells or water pumped by those outside a community water system, such as Arizona Public Service (APS) Cholla Power Plant.
   The total usage by community water systems is almost equal to the total amount the power plant pumps each year. According to Aztec Land and Cattle Company President Steve Brophy, whose company previously leased water wells to the power plant, APS pumps an average of 3.5 billion gallons of water from the C-aquifer each year, or approximately 10,741 acre feet.
   An acre foot of water is the amount of water it would take to cover an acre of land in one foot of water. It is equal to 325,851 gallons of water and is used as a measurement for large quantities of water.
   According to the report, which includes comparisons to previous years, water usage in Navajo County decreased in 2008 when compared to 2007, but demand was up over 2006 levels. Water systems across the county reported a total usage of 12,056 acre feet of water in 2007 and 10,002 acre feet in 2006. That equals just over 3.9 billion gallons in 2007 and 3.25 billion gallons in 2006.
   Holbrook reported an increase over the three-year period, with 790 acre feet in 2006, 801 in 2007 and 815 in 2008. Snowflake reported a decrease in 2008, with 1,416.29 acre feet in 2006, 1,621 in 2007 and 1,351 in 2008. Taylor also followed the county-wide trend with an increase in 2007 and a decrease in 2008, reporting 871 acre feet in 2006, 973 in 2007 and 961.8 in 2008. Winslow reported a decrease in 2008 as well, with 1,744.25 in 2006, 2,806 in 2007 and 2,703 in 2008. The Navajo County complex only reported one year, using 64 acre feet of water in 2006. Sun Valley reported 54 acre feet in 2006, 52 in 2007 and 40 in 2008.
   The report also outlined per capita per day usage, with Snowflake and Taylor leading the way among local communities. According to the report, Taylor residents used an annual average of 286 gallons per person per day in 2008, and Snowflake residents used an average of 246 gallons per person per day. The report did not differentiate between personal use and agricultural use, and noted only that the gallons per capita per day were “calculated by dividing annual demand in gallons by 365 and by the population served by the system.”
   Winslow reported an average daily use of 238 gallons per person per day, while Holbrook reported 137 gallons per person per day. The Navajo County complex averaged 69 gallons per person per day in 2006, and did not file a report for 2007 or 2008. Sun Valley reported an average use of 124 gallons per person per day.
   In the report, the department urged communities to consider current drought conditions as they relate to water usage.
   “During the 2009 water year, precipitation was below 70 percent of average for most of the state. Nearly half of the state is currently in severe drought,” Department of Water Resources Community Water System Program Manager Kelly Lacroix noted. “Proper planning for drought can greatly reduce its impact on our natural resources, our economy, our quality of life and ability to provide water. Current drought conditions make it more important than ever for you to both implement and review your system’s drought and conservation plans to ensure they are adequate.”