TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As he filled up a cup of soda, Nick Avram wasn’t using the usual cups he usually uses at Sawmill Run Restaurant. He was using a paper cup.
As the general manager, he had to make decisions that would help save water. It’s all a part of the Mount Lemmon Water District’s Stage Three Water Curtailment Mandatory Reduction Plan.
Part of the plan makes it mandatory for businesses and people living on Mount Lemmon to adhere to not using more than 2,400 gallons of water per month.
“Running a restaurant on Mount Lemmon with water restrictions is even harder,” Avram said.
Avram has noticed the water restrictions for the past two years during the summer and fall. Saving water now comes down to using paper plates and cups, plastic utensils, and changing their cookware.
“We’ve gone to a thicker cut of bacon that we’re able to cook on our flattop instead of using bacon trays,” Avram said.
However, buying plastic and paper silverware and cups, he said, could be costly in addition to the extra trash costs.
For the past month he said they’ve had to close on Mondays and Tuesdays because of the restrictions in order to save water.
“We only really have two busy months left before we’re about to slow down a lot, so any of those extra days of money would really help us out a lot,” he said.
Some of the restrictions the water district is including bans watering outdoor lawns and plants, washing cars, and filling up pools and jacuzzis.
“They’re asking me to take shower less….overall I just kind of had to cut back,” Clay Storie said.
Storie is a camper who lives in his van for most of the week. Now he said he brings water from Tucson up to the mountain in order to save water.
One reason why the water district said they issue stage three restrictions is when their water storage and production levels aren’t substantial for at least 24 consecutive hours. They said that could lead to the district not being able to meet water demand for a week.
“The community center bathroom is shut down now and that kind of changes things a lot. Now it’s the port-a-potties, and I don’t really want to use those,” Storie said.
There's a portal where customers can track daily water consumption. Any violation of restrictions could lead to the district disconnecting their water.
“The more people bring their own water, the quicker we can get rid of these restrictions,” Storie said.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
