Water shortage on Mount Lemmon prompts restrictions

The Mount Lemmon Domestic Water Improvement District in August imposed water restrictions when the groundwater supplies fell between 25-50% capacity. The restrictions meant households could use only 80 gallons of water per day, or 2,400 gallons a month.

It’s the first time these restrictions have been implemented since 2000, according to retired Mount Lemmon Water Co-op Manager Michael Stanley. The co-op became the district after the Aspen Fire in 2003.

“The situation we’re going through with drought is not uncommon for Arizona and the mountain, but we have adapted to it pretty well,” he said.

The water restrictions have made it difficult for residents to carry out many everyday activities, from watering their gardens and washing vehicles to using water for dust control. Laundry also must fall within the 2,400-gallon limit.

Stanley said the restrictions mean shorter showers and limited toilet flushing.

“Locals are getting used to it. We don’t let the water run when washing dishes, brushing your teeth and we take shorter showers,” said Stanley, who has lived on Mount Lemmon for 43 years.

If any resident violates the water restrictions, the Mount Lemmon Water District will shut off their water, said Reuben Herrera, the district’s water distribution operator.

The water district board determines how much residents will have to pay to turn the water back on. Those fees can range between $300 and $900, he said.

The water district tracks residents’ water use around the clock, Herrera said.

With the exception of fighting fires, the Mount Lemmon Fire District is not exempt from the restrictions.

Firefighter Dan Leade said that means they don’t wash firetrucks, do laundry or run the dishwasher at the fire station.

“We’re just not seeing the water we are used to seeing, so we need to be extra-cautious and help the community by supporting them and leading by example,” Leade said.

The Mount Lemmon Lodge, 12833 N. Sabino Canyon Park, initially implemented creative ways to get its guests on board to save water.

Owner Diana Osbourne and her staff hand guests pamphlets that outline the water crisis and the lodge’s response, which initially included having guests sign a water-restriction acknowledgement to limit showers to five minutes.

Osbourne added they eventually ditched the contracts after realizing guests weren’t following the restrictions, so they installed timers in the showers.

Osbourne said she had hoped “to educate (guests) and help save water on the mountain.”

Herrera said the early October rains “helped a lot,” although not enough to ease the restrictions.

If the groundwater falls below 25% capacity, residents would see the restrictions tighten to a maximum of 1,200 gallons a month.