Albuquerque water authority asks residents to water lawns two days a week
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority is asking residents to limit sprinkler irrigation to two days a week as part of a voluntary conservation program. The request comes as overall consumption this year runs about 4% above last year, according to water authority staff.
Cooler nights and shorter days mean less irrigation is required to keep lawns healthy, said Barbara Baca, chair of the authority’s Governing Board.
“Ramping down our use now will help to ensure that the community meets its annual conservation goal,” Baca said.
Overall water use this year, while up about 4% from last year, is still on track to meet or exceed the 2026 annual conservation goal, according to water authority staff. Usage through August was 54,481 acre-feet, or about 18 billion gallons, which translates to 125 gallons per person per day.
The annual conservation goal for daily usage, as set in the authority’s long-term resource management plan called WATER 2120, is 131 gallons per person per day, staff said in a news release Monday.
August rainfall measured 3.48 inches, compared with 4.09 inches last year. Normal rainfall is 5.68 inches, the water authority says.
August was about two to three degrees warmer than last year.
Residents can learn about the “Water by the Numbers” program online.
