Make your home DesertWise
Whether you have a new or an older home, making a few "desert-wise" choices can help preserve our precious water supply. Adding water-efficient appliances and low-water-use desert landscaping is easy, and best of all, your home will do most of the work.
Install some of the features below to help make your home more DesertWise:
Interior features
- Water-saving showerheads (2.5 gallons per minute, aerated water flow)
- High-efficiency toilets (1.3 gallons per flush)
- Low-flow faucets (2.5 gallons per minute, aerated water flow)
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Exterior features
- Drip irrigation
- "Smart" irrigation controller
- Low-water-use and drought-tolerant plants
- Zoned irrigation system (3-4 valves)
- Pressure-reducing valves
- Synthetic turf
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Some other items you may consider include:
- low-water-use dishwashers
- low-water-use clothes washers
- hot water circulation pumps
- under-sink water heaters
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- dual-flush toilet (0.8 and 1.6 gallons per flush)
- rainwater harvesting
- gray water stub
- soil moisture gauges
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Look for the Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense label on water-using appliances. The WaterSense label lets you know the appliance is 20% more efficient than current standards.
DesertWise homes are landscaped with low-water-use desert plants. Below are a few examples:
- Trees: Willow Acacia, Blue Palo Verde, Desert Willow, Indian Rosewood and Live Oak
- Shrubs: Red Bird of Paradise, Baja Red Fairy Duster, Texas Sage, Baja Ruellia and Arizona Yellow Bells
- Ground cover and vines: Bougainvillea, Bush Morning Glory, Trailing Lantana, Lady Bank's Rose and Trailing rosemary
- Cacti, succulents and accents: Agaves, Purple Prickly Pear and Red Yucca
- Perennial flowers and grasses: Angelita Daisy and Deer Grass
Get more information on low-water-use plants.