In addition to drilling activities, the people of Greater Flagstaff have been participating in conservation efforts and local institutions have been using reclaimed water for irrigation in order to save more of the community's precious potable water supply for its highest use. Of these four sources, groundwater from the Coconino Aquifer is the most dependable and surface water the least dependable. The amount of inflow into Upper Lake Mary varies considerably from year to year, depending on the temperatures and amount of snowpack each winter. The supply available from the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks is also affected by changes in winter snowpack. The use of reclaimed water for irrigation.
Reclaimed water is wastewater that has gone through a high-level treatment process for reuse.
The City of Flagstaff has been successfully using reclaimed water for nonpotable uses such as irrigation since 1994. The use of reclaimed water for these purposes has reduced the summer demand for potable water and has lessened the need for new potable wells. A majority of water use from residential accounts. Since 1990, water conservation has played a key role in helping the city meet its water requirements. Although the city's population has increased each year, its water usage has not.