SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Editor's Note: The video above is from an earlier broadcast.
The city of Scottsdale is urging its residents to reduce their water usage by 5% as the state begins to feel the repercussions of cuts to Arizona's water supply.
Now that a 30% water reduction to Central Arizona Project's supply has taken effect this year, Scottsdale is advising locals to be more responsible about how they consume water.
The CAP reduction was implemented after a shortage was declared last year on the Colorado River. This round of cuts mainly affects Arizona's agricultural users.
But Scottsdale is encouraging residents to reduce water usage before the state's shortage gets worse. The city said it's pledging to cut municipal water usage by 5%.
Scottsdale Water Executive Director Brian Biesemeyer said the city's already been implementing conservation programs for decades.
"Now we need to step up our game and take water conservation to the next level," Biesemeyer said. "With less water coming to us from the Colorado River in 2022, we need to learn to live with less and that starts every time we turn on the tap, flush the toilet or start our irrigation systems.”
Because 70% of residential water usage is used outside, the city asks residents to consider adjusting irrigation timers or converting grass lawns to desert-friendly landscapes.
The city declared a few months ago Scottsdale had begun stage one of its drought management plan, which mainly consists of asking locals to voluntarily cut water usage.
Once Scottsdale reaches the second stage of its drought plan, more water restrictions will be enforced and mandatory water conservation may be imposed by the city.
More information about the city's water programs can be found on Scottsdale's website.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.