Resident shares images of their city's innovative method for saving water: 'That's encouraging'

An Arizona resident has been impressed by the methods their municipality has been taking in order to preserve groundwater supplies. 

"My city has been narrowing residential streets by installing rainwater gardens," they wrote on Reddit. "Some years ago they also allowed residents to make curb cuts so rain water can flow into basins to recharge groundwater supplies."

The original poster included photos of the curb cuts. These features are part of Tucson's larger green stormwater infrastructure program called Storm to Shade. It aims to "capture, clean, and infiltrate stormwater; shade and cool surfaces and buildings; reduce flooding, create wildlife habitat; and provide other services that improve environmental quality and communities' quality of life."

The program has been active for years in an attempt to improve urban tree canopy, lower temperatures, and improve water supplies. Measures like these are sorely needed, as Tucson residents have been subjected to contaminated groundwater and have even been incentivized to rip up thirsty grass lawns in order to conserve water.   

Atmospheric pollution has intensified drought conditions around the world, necessitating new ways to minimize water waste. Large-scale projects like this can help funnel water into urban ecosystems, which retain the water for as long as possible, reducing erosion and improving municipal supply. 

Using native plants in these gardens is key, especially in this instance, since they're well-adapted to arid conditions and can deal with minimal watering. These green spaces have the added benefit of reducing urban heat island effects, providing much-needed homes for pollinators, and improving mental health. 

Reddit commenters were happy to see this kind of work being done.

"Wow, that's encouraging. We could be doing a lot more of that kind of thing at low cost," said one community member. 

Should the government be allowed to restrict how much water we use? Definitely 💯 Only during major droughts 🏜️ No way 🙅 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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