It is vital to prevent drought from worsening and to lessen its extent. Attempts are actively being made at this, but they are not enough. The three main routes are water supply increase, recycling, and conservation.
A popular method for water supply increase is desalination, the process of removing the high salinity from ocean water to make it potable. A number of processes exist for this, the most popular of which is electrodialysis (Hell, et al.). This involves the transfer of salt ions from one solution to another, by the use of a membrane (“How Does Electrolysis Work?”). The downside to this process is a toxic, salty sludge created as a by-product of the process. Another process is biodesalination, an application of salt eating bacteria. The cyanobacteria consume the salt out of the water, making it potable (Amezaga). However, some versions of this process also lead to a toxic sludge, by using the bacteria as an ion-exchange membrane. Reverse osmosis is also a popular desalination tool, and will be explored in more detail later.
The most currently used source of water waste reduction is recycling, namely through the purification of dirty water, such as sewage and run-off (or grey water). This most commonly involves reverse osmosis, or RO, which involves moving the water through a series of membranes and filters to purify it (“Reverse Osmosis”; Helmenstine; Schneider). This water is then re-used, namely by returning it to the water system or by using it to water places like golf courses. Scottsdale is the only place in Arizona approved for potable water reuse (that is, using reclaimed water as tap water), though this is currently solely experimental. The city of Scottsdale re-uses 100% of its recovered water, sending some of it to cool nuclear power plants and back into the aquifer (Schneider).
The third and most important route, conservation, can be accomplished in a number of ways. The main user of water in Arizona is yards, specifically lawns. A way around the necessary intensive watering, is to use clover lawns, which are much more efficient (Kodé). Another tool is the use of black plastic balls to cover open water, to prevent escape via evaporation (Conley). This could potentially be used on canals, and could conserve at least some minimal amount of water. The most important aspect of conservation, however, is the human aspect; community education is vital (Schneider; Wilson). The City of Scottsdale and the City of Phoenix, as well as many other places in Arizona, run programs to educate the community on how to reduce their hydro-footprint. According to an interview with Dr. Max Wilson, a water scientist at the City of Phoenix, technological solutions only go so far, and people are the weak link in the chain. He added that many people don’t know how much water is leaking through loose pipe fittings or leaky faucets, and that this can cause thousands of gallons of water loss in a year. According to an interview with Ms. Julie Schneider at the City of Scottsdale, Las Vegas is banning lawns in some areas and cities are encouraging people to go to public parks instead of growing a lawn, as lawns are the greatest residential water users.