Conserving billions of gallons of water a year through a comprehensive Total Water Management approach, Ron Fleming, CEO of Global Water Resources, Inc., tells us how the company is safeguarding future water supply in the Arizona communities it serves.
PROTECTING ARIZONA’S WATER
The water management industry has evolved in recent decades to become a vital network of systems that ensure a reliable source of water for commercial, residential, and industrial spaces across the US.
In Arizona, Global Water Resources, Inc. (GWR) (NASDAQ: GWRS) has grown to become a prominent water resource management organization. Headquartered in Phoenix, it owns and operates 32 systems, located primarily in the growth corridors of metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson.
GWR has become recognized across the state for providing comprehensive water, wastewater, and recycled water utilities for a range of communities, ensuring reliable and efficient service delivery in both urban and suburban regions.
Leveraging the expertise of 120 employees, the company mainly serves residential, commercial, and irrigation customers.
Looking ahead, GWR hopes to continue its success in growing its customer base, having annually increased its total service connections five times that of industry competitors.
“At GWR, our approach to managing the entire water cycle is comprehensive and innovative. We focus on true demand reduction, such as using the right water for the right use, which is central to our strategy for water conservation and sustainability,” introduces Ron Fleming, CEO.
PROMOTING WATER CONSERVATION
GWR obtains a significant amount of water from underground aquifers located across its many service areas.
“The aquifers are not renewable water supplies, so we try to maximize conservation at each step in the water cycle and protect these aquifers to ensure the long-term sustainability of the communities we serve,” highlights Fleming.
In order to achieve this, GWR consistently utilizes the right water for the right use – a cornerstone of its conservation efforts.
For instance, the company reserves high-quality potable water for essential uses such as drinking, cooking, and bathing.
Meanwhile, GWR generates and utilizes recycled water for its non-potable applications, such as irrigation and landscaping. This approach significantly reduces the demand for fresh potable water and promotes the reuse of treated wastewater. As a result of these strategies, the company can lower the demand on aquifers by over 30 percent.
Furthermore, through GWR’s recycled water systems, the business has been able to recycle over one billion gallons of water annually.
Through this approach, since 2004, the company has recycled a total of 17 billion gallons of water, which not only conserves freshwater resources but also helps maintain an ecological balance by reducing the strain on underwater aquifers and supplying communities with stable sources of water.
Additionally, GWR employs a range of technologies and best practices to promote conservation across its operations. These include advanced water distribution facilities that utilize state-of-the-art technology, as well as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) that uses smart meters and sensor networks to detect leaks in real time.
On top of this, the company also offers a six-tier rate design and incentive program that rewards customers that use less water, whilst also engaging with communities to promote water conservation practices and highlight the benefits of using recycled water via education and outreach initiatives.
CHANGING THE WATER UTILITY APPROACH
In the 20 years since it was founded, GWR has made impactful water conservation possible by:
- Investing hundreds of millions of dollars into Arizona.
- Building state-of-the-art, regionally planned water, wastewater, and recycled water systems.
- Installing dozens of miles of purple pipe to deliver recycled water.
- Using recycled water throughout the local communities to keep parks, school grounds, and green spaces healthy and usable.
- Leveraging advanced technology, customer service processes, and rate design to ensure its customers participate in real, long-term conservation.
COMPREHENSIVE WATER MANAGEMENT
As a cornerstone of the GWR’s operations, the company’s Total Water Management (TWM) strategy involves an integrated and holistic approach to managing the entire water cycle, from sourcing and treating water to distribution, use, collection, and recycling.
The approach is a comprehensive strategy designed to optimize water use, promote sustainability, and ensure the long-term availability of water resources, particularly in areas experiencing significant growth and development.
GWR’s TWM strategy has proven to be indispensable as, contrary to popular belief, water is a very scarce resource in some of the fastest growing areas of the US.
“Apart from the air we breathe, water is probably people’s most vital and urgent need, but our public policy response doesn’t always convey its importance,” reveals Fleming.
In Arizona, high population growth rates and limited availability to water have highlighted significant difficulties in water management. Drought has also become a compounding challenge, as the state has faced a severe lack of rain over the last two decades.
“Tomorrow’s water future depends on the actions we take today. We must preserve, protect, and restore our increasingly valuable water resources,” he imparts.
“Tomorrow’s water future depends on the actions we take today. We must preserve, protect, and restore our increasingly valuable water resources”
Ron Fleming, CEO, Global Water Resources, Inc.
MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF RECYCLING
GWR’s TWM primarily focuses on the maximization of recycled water, which involves taking wastewater from homes and treating it to the highest standards so that it can be reused in a variety of situations.
In order to recycle water, the company takes wastewater from homes and treats in a way that it can be used again for a variety of outdoor applications.
Moreover, by using recycled water for outdoor uses, GWR has reduced its freshwater use by over 30 percent, boding well for future development and population growth.
“Recycling is the only water source that grows as our population does. More people means we will need more water per year, but it also means more showers, baths, and laundry, resulting in more wastewater that can be recycled,” explains Fleming.
Furthermore, by promoting the use of recycled water for irrigation and industrial processes, the company has conserved significant amounts of potable water for residential and essential uses.
Overall, the company’s TWM approach is designed to be adaptive and forward-thinking, continuously monitoring water usage patterns, investing in new technologies, and updating infrastructure to meet changing demands.
“By staying proactive and innovative, we can ensure that our water supplies remain stable and resilient, even as communities grow and evolve.
“Our comprehensive and integrated efforts also mean we are able to protect and manage water supplies effectively, ensuring they are available for current and future generations,” expands Fleming.
LOOKING AHEAD
GWR’s service areas in the state’s Sun Corridor have shown signs of significant growth in the first half of this year, with single-family permits increasing in number by 169, or 43 percent, in the City of Maricopa and up 4,313, or 43 percent, across Greater Phoenix as compared to the first half of last year. It is also worth noting that multi-family housing permits in the City of Maricopa increased by 861, or 273 percent, in the first half of 2024 compared to 2023.
This is concurrent with recent macrotrends happening across the state, as by 2032, Arizona is expected to add 478,000 jobs with an annual growth rate of 1.4 percent, surpassing the national average.
Supporting this outlook, $40.7 billion was invested into Arizona last year, including contributions from major industry players such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Intel, and Procter & Gamble.
As such, the company is well positioned to harness the growth in and around metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson, as GWR expects these regionally planned service areas to ultimately create hundreds of thousands of new connections.
Given these positive trends, the organization anticipates another strong year ahead as it continues to provide exemplary services to communities and advance its mission of expanding and consolidating water and wastewater utilities.
“In the face of water scarcity, stringent regulations, and aging infrastructure, we believe that these efforts will enable our communities to realize the benefits of consolidation, regionalization, and proactive environmental stewardship,” concludes Fleming.
