Queen Creek staff say HOA outreach, turf conversions and leak fixes produced measurable water savings in 2024

Dina Burns, Queen Creek’s water conservation manager, told the Town Council that town outreach to homeowners associations and commercial landscape managers produced measurable water savings in 2024 and positioned the town to expand conservation incentives if a tentative WIFA grant is awarded.

Burns said the conservation team exceeded a prior target of 100 acre‑feet of savings by about 45 acre‑feet for 2024, and added that the largest opportunities for additional reductions remain in large turf landscapes managed by HOAs.

"We are focused on practical measures for sustainable savings," Burns said, citing in‑person and virtual meetings, site evaluations and a multi‑pronged approach that pairs education with technical fixes.

Town staff described several specific efforts and results. HOAs that met with conservation staff reduced overall water consumption by about 2 percent on average in 2024, while HOAs not engaged with staff increased use by a little more than 8 percent, the presentation said — a net improvement of about 10.5 percent for HOAs that worked with the town. Staff highlighted progress at named communities: Hastings Farms (on target…