Can Price Help Conserve Water in Arizona?

A growing population and drought across the West is leading some experts to call for changes in the way governments and utilities charge for water. The difference between the way Tucson and Phoenix, for instance charge for water, is striking.

2 minute read

May 5, 2014, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Jamie Killin explores the price of water in Arizona, where academics and advocates are calling for governments and utilities to raise the price of water to better reflect growing scarcity and to encourage conservation.

"In general, local governments and utilities price water according to the cost it takes to treat it and build and maintain the infrastructure necessary to transport it. Most water departments and water utilities run as enterprise funds that are required to recover only the costs they incur," writes Killin.

Other cities "have adopted a block pricing structure, which charges lighter water users, consuming what they need to live and maintain their homes, at a lower rate while charging heavier water users higher rates beyond a base tier."

As an example of the latter, "Tucson has one of the most steeply blocked pricing structures in the state. The owner of a single-family home will pay $1.29 per 100 cubic feet of water – 748 gallons – up to a level Tucson Water says covers the usage of most households. The highest of the four pricing blocks is $11.04 per 100 cubic feet for the heaviest water users."

Water costs in Phoenix, however, are the eighth lowest on a list of 30 U.S. cities, according to a Circle of Blue study cited by Killin.

Even under the current regime, the price of water is likely to increase, as municipalities and utilities search for the supply to maintain growing population levels, according to a recent report by the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014 in Cronkite News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight