Estimated Water Demand and Conservation Potential of Domestic Wells in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed, Arizona

The effect of domestic wells on aquifers and streams in Arizona is not well quantified. Because these wells do not require metering, estimates of their pumpage can vary (see Section 3). Nonetheless, the total demand from domestic wells is potentially large and important to water providers, cities and counties as they plan and develop strategies to meet future water needs, including water conservation programs.
Due to the uncertainty in demand, Western Resource Advocates (WRA) contracted Plateau Resources LLC (Plateau) to develop a methodology to estimate the conservation potential of domestic wells in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed (SVS). While this study does not report a total domestic well demand for the region, it does present recent and new household estimates and identifies areas with water conservation potential. Such information may help water managers in the SVS better understand domestic well use characteristics and design and implement appropriate water conservation programs. The methodology developed here is likely also transferable to other areas of Arizona and the western United States. View Document.