The New Mexico Water Conservation Alliance is a statewide organization of water conservation professionals and others interested in conservation, which meets bimonthly to discuss water conservation activities across the state and network with other persons involved in municipal and industrial water conservation programs. The next meeting is set for early March. The production of the Conservation Current is funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The city of Albuquerque recently amended its water conservation landscaping and water waste ordinance to make it easier to understand and comply with, which the city hopes will result in even greater water conservation. The revisions were made through a process that involved landscape professionals, homeowners, developers and city staff.
Early data shows that the ordinance is having a significant conservation effect.
Single family homes built after the ordinance went into effect are using 26.5 percent less water than similar new homes built just prior to the effective date. Peak month demand is 28 percent lower for homes with complying landscapes. On the average, each home built after the ordinance is conserving about 30,000 gallons of water annually. The original ordinance restricted the use of such plants to 20 percent or less of the landscaped area in new development. The amendment allows any single-family dwelling to have at least 300 square feet of restricted plants, no matter how small the landscaped area is.