Drought to deluge: How can California even out water supplies?

‘HYDRO-LOCAL’ APPROACH TO WATER MANAGEMENT

Cities are also seeking to better capture and manage their precipitation, such as by requiring residents to collect rainwater.

For example, the Arizona city of Tucson, in the country’s southwest, has several rainwater harvesting ordinances, including requiring new or redeveloped commercial property to meet half of their landscape needs through harvested waste, said Catlow Shipek of the Watershed Management Group.

It is part of a vision that Shipek, the non-profit’s senior program director, describes as “hydro-local” – in this case, seeking to wean Tucson from its dependence on the Colorado River.

“At our house, we use rainwater for all outdoor and drinking needs,” Shipek said by phone.

“Through just passive harvesting, with the right plants in the right place, we can completely eliminate the need for potable imported waters to irrigate our landscape,” he said, adding that Tucson’s approach is being considered elsewhere.