October 30, 2015
Category: News
Gary Woodard, a senior water policy and economics consultant with M&A, recently was featured in two publications: The Arizona Republic and Earth: The Science behind the Headlines, a magazine of the American Geosciences Institute. Woodard was interviewed for both publications about his work on M&A’s recent water demand study, which examined trends in the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas and their implications for municipal providers.
The Republic recently ran two articles. The first, “Is Phoenix area’s long love affair with grass waning?,” recaps the history of water use practices and attitudes in the Valley and includes an interactive landscaping map. Woodard provides insights on trends in winter grass use.
The second Republic article, “Why our water-saving ways in metro Phoenix may not result in lower bills,” looks at how declining demands are impacting revenues for water utilities, who must still cover fixed expenses for infrastructure, labor, and bonds. It also features a series of interactive maps on water usage throughout the Valley.
In the Earth article, “Declining U.S. water use a challenge for models,” Woodard discusses the many factors contributing to declining demands across the Southwest: changing household demographics, landscaping preferences, and appliances, among others. He also discusses the impacts of such trends on water planning.
