Daniel Salzler No. 1328 EnviroInsight.org Five Items October 17, 2025
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- Continued Drought Likely In Water Year 2026. October 1, 2025, marked the first day of the new water year. In hydrology, a “water year” refers to the 12-month period in which precipitation totals are measured. The new water year starts in October because much of the precipitation that falls in late autumn and winter accumulates as snow and does not melt until the following spring or summer. River flows tend to be their lowest during the fall months, and a water year that begins in October enables hydrologists to attribute increased flow to the precipitation that falls during the 12-month cycle.
After a particularly dry 2025 water year, all seven of the Colorado River Basin states are facing drought conditions. For the upcoming winter season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a high probability of above-average precipitation in northern states such as Washington, Oregon, and Montana, with below-average precipitation in Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Utah and Colorado.
According to Seth Arens—a research scientist who works for Western Water Assessment, a university-based applied research program that addresses societal vulnerabilities to extreme weather and natural hazards, particularly those related to water resources—the 2026 water year will be a crucial one for the West, both in terms of climate and politics, as water negotiators from the Colorado River Basin states must attempt to create new operating guidelines for the river. Source: University of AZ.
2. ADAWS Opens Door To Water Providers Securing Assured Water Supply Designations Published October 9, 2025 AZ Dept. Water Resources
Governor Katie Hobbs signed a proclamation on Tuesday, Oct. 7, celebrating the first implementation of the new “Alternative Designation of Assured Water Supply Program,” commemorating a new pathway for increasing Arizona’s housing supply while at the same time maintaining the vital consumer protections of the State’s landmark Groundwater Management Act.
The designation to the water provider, EPCOR, represents the first 100-year Assured Water Supply designation in the Phoenix Active Management Area in 25 years. The designation will extend 100-year water supply protections within EPCOR’s service area, providing enough water for 60,000 new homes.
“This program, dubbed ADAWS, represents the culmination of a challenging public stakeholder process that kept protection of Arizona’s groundwater supplies as a top priority,” said Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke.
The Director commended Governor Hobbs for her leadership in the effort to create the Alternative Designation of Assured Water Supply, and also congratulated his hard-working staff for the countless hours they contributed to making this alternative pathway to an Assured Water Supply a reality for participating providers.
“The many stakeholders involved in this process have been intensely engaged and determined to find that next adaptation of water policy that allowed incremental, sustainable growth while protecting groundwater,” Director Buschatzke added. “I heartily commend them as well.”
The landmark achievement comes after years of work, including a rigorous and public stakeholder process conducted by the Governor’s Water Policy Council.
“This ADAWS designation is going to save water, it is going to support sustainable economic growth, and it is going to create more housing,” said Governor Hobbs as she prepared to sign the proclamation at a celebratory gathering at a new housing development in Waddell on the far west side of metropolitan Phoenix, Avanti at Granite Vista by Elliott Homes. EPCOR is serving as the development’s water provider.
“Today we are again demonstrating that Arizona can, and will, continue to grow our economy while protecting our water,” said the Governor.
“When elected officials come together across party lines we can tackle the big problems that Arizonans face and get things done for the people of our state.”
Shawn Bradford, EPCOR’s Senior Vice President of Regulated US Water, observed that the ADAWS program “allows greater flexibility for utilities to leverage their water portfolios – a pathway for water providers like EPCOR to support sustainable development with a nearly net-neutral impact on Arizona’s groundwater resources.”
3. On Wednesday, October 22, you won’t want to miss Arizona Water Company: Suitable Water Resources Strategy, the next webinar we have lined up. Two representatives of Arizona Water Company—President Fred Schneider and Terri Sue C. Rossi, Vice President of Water Resources—will chronicle the collaboration between their company and the State of Arizona and other stakeholders in the development of a new determination of assured water supply for the Pinal Valley water system, which has not been updated since July 2011 despite there being over 8 million acre-feet of unmet demand in the Pinal AMA. REGISTER HERE. : https://arizona.zoom.us/meeting/register/Jm7Isbv-TNikfVFTFs9YKA#/registration
4.“Clothes Make The Person” The Saying Goes. Every year 4,000,000 tons of textiles are disposed of in landfills (Source: CBS News) Please think twice (or more) before buying clothes and more importantly when it comes time to dispose of your garments. Think Goodwill or other charitable organizations to donate to. In areas where rainfall is frequent, natural fibers may take only a few years to break down in landfills. Synthetic fabrics, such as nylon, polyester, etc.—can take more than 200 years to decompose, if they decompose at all. [Source: treehugger.com] In areas like Arizona, decomposition may never occur.
5. Cooling Urban Heat Islands With Smart Stormwater Systems. Understanding urban heat islands: Root causes. The physics behind urban heat islands reveals why traditional stormwater approaches often worsen the problem rather than ease it. These areas result from three primary mechanisms that water professionals encounter daily.
- Surfaces that do not absorb water, including streets, parking lots and building rooftops, can retain solar radiation while eliminating natural cooling through evapotranspiration.
- The loss of vegetation removes the urban canopy’s natural air conditioning system, where a single mature tree can provide cooling equivalent to 10 room-sized air conditioners running about 20 hours daily.
- Waste heat from buildings, vehicles and industrial processes compounds these effects, creating temperature differentials that peak during summer when stormwater systems face their most significant stress.
These temperature increases impact infrastructure. Every incremental increase in ambient temperature correlates with a rise in peak electricity demand, straining urban power grids and raising operational costs. Heat-stressed framework can experience accelerated deterioration, affecting everything from asphalt surfaces to buried water mains. Traditional stormwater management approaches eliminate opportunities for evaporative cooling while concentrating heat in urban cores.
Smart stormwater solutions for urban cooling
Modern Internet of Things (IoT) technology turns stormwater infrastructure from passive water conveyance into active climate control systems. Smart systems leverage IoT sensors, adaptive controls and data analytics to optimize water management and thermal regulation. Unlike conventional frameworks that move water away from urban areas, these systems actively manage water retention, distribution and evaporation to maximize cooling benefits.
Core technologies include real-time flow-monitoring sensors that track precipitation patterns, soil moisture sensors that optimize irrigation timing, and automated valve systems that direct stormwater to areas where evapotranspiration provides maximum cooling.
The cooling mechanisms operate through three primary pathways:
- Controlled evapotranspiration can increase localized humidity, which reduces ambient temperatures in the immediate vicinity.
- Strategic water retention in permeable surfaces can swing throughout daily cycles.
- Smart irrigation systems can help maintain vegetation health during peak cooling demand periods, ensuring consistent canopy coverage when urban temperatures reach critical thresholds.
Performance metrics demonstrate quantifiable returns on infrastructure investment. Properly designed smart stormwater systems can significantly reduce peak surface temperatures compared to traditional asphalt, while simultaneously managing rainfall. Data analytics platforms track cooling efficiency in real time, enabling adaptive management that responds to weather patterns, seasonal variations and long-term climate trends.
Green infrastructure integration
Smart controls amplify the cooling potential of green infrastructure far beyond what traditional installations achieve. The synergy between these components amplifies cooling effectiveness beyond what either approach achieves independently. Bioswales with moisture sensors automatically adjust retention times to optimize water quality treatment and evapotranspiration rates. Smart green roofs utilize weather forecasting data to preposition water storage, ensuring adequate moisture while maintaining stormwater capacity for precipitation management.
Permeable pavements with subsurface monitoring systems represent particularly high-impact applications for water professionals. These systems reduce surface temperatures compared to conventional asphalt. Metal surfaces treated with powder coating can last up to 10 years if a high-performance grade product is used. Integrated sensors track subsurface moisture levels, automatically triggering irrigation during drought periods to maintain cooling performance. The dual functionality addresses stormwater regulatory requirements while providing measurable energy savings for adjacent buildings. Source: Stormwater News Sept. 24, 2025.
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