Tucson's Casa del Agua (House of Water) is providing an example of water-conscious living in the harsh climate of the desert Southwest.

The three-bedroom, two-bath house, located at 4366 N. Stanley Place, is owned by the City of Tucson and has been a centerpiece of water conservation ideas and research since 1985.

Casa del Agua is a "living laboratory" geared toward increasing awareness of the need for conservation and showing people how to change their lifestyles that make big differences in water use, said Catherine France, who lives in Casa del Agua with her husband, University of Arizona Arid Lands Research Specialist Glenn France.

The UA arid lands department collects the data from the house as part of its research on water conservation and adaptation to living in desert climates, Catherine France said.

The couple maintains an information center in the house that includes literature on conservation, examples of low-flow water fixtures and a washing machine that uses half the water of conventional machines.

There is also a graywater recycling system that collects all the household water, excluding toilet and some kitchen water, whick is sent through a filtration system and reused.

The system at Casa del Agua was installed as an experiment to test and improve graywater technology. Future uses of graywater will depend on the results of the research.

Catherine France also facilitates a program, called "Water Wise," that brings groups from local middle and high schools to tour the house and learn ways they can conserve water at home.

But why conserve?

"Water is a finite resource. We want to make sure it's there for future generations," said Christina Kuranz, water conservation specialist at the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

The DWR is funding improvements on the house's public information center .

Conservation is not a new idea in Arizona. In 1980, President Carter was considering funding the Central Arizona Project. He decided that before money was spent to bring in new water, serious efforts had to be made to conserve existing ground water, Kuranz said.

As a result, the Groundwater Management Act was passed, requiring that Tucson reach a "safe yield" water level by 2025.

"Safe yield" is the point at which the amount of water used equals the rate of natural replacement, she said.

Tucson now uses 2.5 times more water as is being replaced by rainfall. This imbalance is known as overdraft and cannot be corrected without conservation efforts, Kuranz said.

"Even if Tucson uses its full allotment of CAP water, we'd be in overdraft."

Other conservation projects include the annual "Beat the Peak" campaign to limit landscape watering during the summers and Water Smart workshops that teach homeowners conservation techniques, Kuranz said.

Casa del Agua is open to the public Sundaysfrom noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call 887-1185..

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