In August, Chino Valley Water Resources Director Mark Holmes presented a water code draft to the town council that focuses on working toward safe yield – or recharging as much water into the Big Chino Aquifer as what is removed from it – by restricting almost all outdoor watering for landscaping, recreational purposes and washing vehicles.

To simplify the decision-making process, the town has combined its four original water committees into two – including one for landscape architects and nursery workers, and another for citizens, developers and contractors.

Holmes said the 65-square-mile town has no control over the water flowing through its 7,000 exempt wells. Compounding the problem is that most of the town’s land is dry, meaning water rights are non-existent.

Chino Valley sits on the north end of Arizona’s so-called Sun Corridor, where economists say 80 percent of all growth in the state will occur in the next 50 years.

Prescott landscaper Charlie Hildebrant said Holmes painted a “morbid picture” of the water outlook.

“Why even write a code that accounts for so much growth?” he said. “We don’t know your theory. People taking four-minute showers and banning gardening is not practical.”

Ken Lain, another Prescott-based landscaper, said with technology changing every year, it’s possible that it will be easier to conserve water in the future.

“Let’s not write a code that goes out to 50 years,” Lain said. “It may be hard for the community to swallow this today. Let’s start with requiring conservative use instead of making one gigantic leap.”

Added Prescott landscaper John McCurdy: “We’re at the point now where we have to step up. There’s no selling of water conservation if we don’t have the general population on board. The biggest problem is lack of education and water waste.”