December topics: landscape professional search tips and water consultation registration

Know Your Pro

Before hiring a landscape professional, start with Know Your Pro, a website from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. This helpful resource provides a list of landscape-related qualifications, titles and certifications and what they mean in terms of training and expertise. Additionally, search the Smartscape Directory to find a landscape professional who has received Smartscape Training. These professionals can recommend best practices for water-wise design and maintenance.

Sustainable Living workshop series

Help Tempe water conservation deliver excellent workshops for 2023. Take a few minutes to complete this survey.

Enhance water conservation for homeowner associations

Learn how Tempe’s Water Conservation Program provides homeowners associations (HOA) with tools to improve landscape watering efficiency that can save water and money.

Benefit from a no-cost residential water consultation

Register for a free phone, video chat or on-site water consultation that can provide recommendations on the many ways to save water, improve plant health and reduce utility bill costs.

City of Tempe's Youth Education Program

Help educate Tempe’s future generations to efficiently use one of the most precious resources: water. Less than 1% of the water on earth can be used by people. Click here to find the following resources:

- Programs for educators
- Interactive water conservation assembly program for grades 2-4
- Classroom presentations for grades K-12
- Information about the Tempe Water Festival
- School garden grant
- Water treatment plant tours
- Virtual resources for parents and educators

Water Wise plant of the month

Lantana (Lantana camara) flourishes in full sun and is a very adaptable species. The flower colors most common to Arizona are yellow, orange and gold.

- Provides color all year round
- Produces low litter
- Exhibits no thorns
- Attracts butterflies
- Requires moderate watering
- May cause skin irritation
- Thrives above 28 degrees Fahrenheit
- Offers fast growth rate

Tempe Neighborhood Spotlight

Each year, many Tempe neighborhoods participate in the Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods (GAIN) event, which brings residents together and encourages them to stay safe and connected. Tempe’s Water Utilities Division participates in the event to raise awareness of water conservation in the community. At GAIN 2022 on Oct. 22, water conservation staff engaged with more than 253 residents in 18 communities across Tempe. Neighborhoods participating in the event included a mix of voluntary neighborhood associations, HOAs, block watches and mobile home communities. Each GAIN gathering brought groups of neighbors together in person and for some, this was the first neighborhood gathering since the COVID pandemic.

Staff discussed many topics with residents, including how to obtain information regarding indoor and outdoor water conservation tips. Mayor Woods, councilmembers and city staff from Community Services, Municipal Utilities, Community Development, Police and Fire Medical Rescue attended many neighborhood celebrations and provided education on their areas of responsibility in the community.

Click here to view the GAIN 2022 video.

Have information that could benefit others?
Know someone who is a model for water conservation efforts?   
Share your stories with us at [email protected].