Tucson Water Zanjero Program
Tucson Water has developed a new water conservation program to help residential customers manage their water use. Known as the Tucson Water Zanjero Program, the free service offers customers an individualized survey of the water use in their home, and provides them with the tools and information they need to lower their water use and their water bills.
In the 1800s, water users in the Old Pueblo met each year to elect a Zanjero (Zahn-HAIR-oh), or water manager, to make sure water users irrigated their fields according to the community-developed schedule, and to prevent water waste. The Zanjero also made sure the water-carrying acequias (ah-seh-kee-ahs), or canals, were properly constructed and maintained so that life-giving water could flow to people's homes and farms. When water was scarce, the Zanjero had the authority to control water use for the benefit of the entire community.
A group of six Tucson Water Zanjeros have been given extensive training in indoor and outdoor water conservation and a wide variety of related water issues. Each team member visits up to three residences a day, checking for leaks, measuring the flow rates of showerheads and faucets, looking for special water uses such as spas, pools, or misting systems, and analyzing the efficiency of the irrigation system. If appropriate, new low-flow fixtures, faucet aerators, or other water-saving devices are installed. The resident receives the results of the analysis, along with advice or information which will help them decrease their water use, and their water bills.
In order to ensure the Zanjero Program has the greatest opportunity to make a significant change in Tucson's overall water use, Tucson Water has targeted the first year of the program at residential customers who use more than 25 Ccf (hundred cubic feet) in any month of the year. These water users typically have the greatest opportunities for reductions in overall water use. There are approximately 36,000 residential customers who qualify for the first year of this program. These customers will receive a letter inviting their participation in the Zanjero Program. Even though the initial invitations will be targeted at high water users, the program is open to all Tucson Water customers.
The Tucson Water Zanjero Program, a bit of the Old Pueblo whose time has come, again. For more information on this exciting new program, contact the Zanjero Program at (520) 791-3242.
