The Parks and Recreation Department (PRD) has reduced the amount of water it uses by more than 100 million gallons over the past three years, despite facing record heat. However, it is using more water than it was in 2019.
Albuquerque’s Parks and Recreation Director Dave Simon told City Desk ABQ in an email the department’s long-term goal is to make sure the city has water in the future.
“As climate change continues, water resources in New Mexico are projected to decrease,” said Simon. “PRD’s goal is continuous, steady improvement in water conservation so that the City protects its essential water supplies for domestic, commercial, and agricultural uses.”
By the end of fiscal year 2023, PRD statistics showed a scaling down of water use by more than 100 million gallons compared to 3 years prior, despite increasingly hot summers and one more site than it had in 2020.
In 2019, however, the department was using even less water. The number of gallons jumped up in 2020.
Read more about the city’s top water users here.
A department spokesperson said that’s because “weather is the single biggest factor for water usage” and 2020 was tied for the fifth-warmest year in Albuquerque history and it was unusually dry. She said when the city has a wetter monsoon season, PRD is able to water less.
“Higher traffic in parks can also lead to more water usage to protect the grass,” spokesperson Emily Moore said. “During the pandemic, more people opted outside and utilized the City’s parks, trails, and open spaces.”
PRD runs a summer program called “Operation Cooldown” where it turns on sprinklers at parks throughout the city for children and families to play in when the temperatures are projected to hit triple digits. PRD says the water used in Operation Cooldown is offset by decreasing watering of other places and times.
Here’s how Simon said the parks department reduced its water use:
Technology
SmartUse, a city contractor, provides the department with tracking water use data.
PRD is then able to monitor park irrigation systems and water usage patterns to identify outliers and compare water consumption overtime.
Projects
The department has renovated park irrigation systems, which includes replacing older water lines, eliminating irrigation in areas that don’t need it, lining ponds, upgrading sprinkler controllers with better technology, and enhancing sprinkler heads to distribute water more efficiently.
Simon said the department prioritizes renovating parks if their system is at least 50 years old.
Operations
PRD scheduled watering during early morning and evening hours in order to decrease evaporation and cut back on water loss.
The department also created a system to review park irrigation systems and try to identify and fix issues before summer weather begins.
The department also has staff available 24 hours a day to take 311 calls regarding water waste.
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