How Often and How Long to Water—Determining a Plant’s Water Needs (157 KB) explains how to determine a plant's water needs.  Developed by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. 

Landscape Watering by the Numbers shows how to calculate the water plants and lawns need, how much water irrigation provides, and how to develop a seasonal watering schedule. Developed by the Cities of Mesa and Scottsdale for the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA), 2003.

Guidelines for Landscape Drip Irrigation Systems (2 MB) covers drip irrigation in detail, including design, materials, installation, maintenance, operation and repair. It includes estimated water requirements for plants in Phoenix and Tucson, watering frequencies, and a simplified approach for determining landscape watering schedules. The Guidelines are useful for homeowners, contractors, developers and municipalities. Developed by the Arizona Landscape Irrigation Guidelines Committee with funding from the Arizona Department of Water Resources, 1999. Reprinted by the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA) in 2001.

See ADWR's Technologies page for information on irrigation technologies.

Rainwater

Harvesting rainwater can reduce the use of drinking water for landscape irrigation. It is also an effective water conservation tool and proves more beneficial when coupled with the use of native, low water-use and desert-adapted plants. Additionally, rainwater is available free of charge and puts no added strain on the municipal supply or private wells.

Harvesting Rainwater for Landscape Use (5 MB) provides information about planning and installing residential water harvesting systems. It includes information on calculating plant water use requirements and historic rainfall for many Arizona cities and towns. Developed by the University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension and the ADWR Tucson AMA, 2004, 2006.

Water Harvesting Guidance Manual (2 MB) provides basic information and design ideas for developments subject to the water harvesting requirements of the City of Tucson Land Use Code. This includes commercial sites, public buildings, subdivisions and public rights-of-way. The manual is also useful for homeowners.

Gray Water

Gray water is defined as wastewater, collected separately from sewage flow that originates from a clothes washer, bathtub,shower or sink, but not from a kitchen sink, dishwasher or toilet. In general, gray water is an excellent source of water for household gardening, composting, and lawn and landscape irrigation. Gray water must be used so that it does not run off your own property

Gray Water or Rainwater System Tax Credit Arizona law allows individual taxpayers to receive income tax credit for installing a gray water system in the taxpayers Arizona home under A.R.S. §43-1090.01. To view instructions and obtain an application for gray water tax credit, visit the Department of Revenue.

Using Gray Water at Home (2 MB) a brochure developed by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, provides general information about gray water use in Arizona.