Proceedings of the 2023 Mississippi Water Resources Conference

Year: 2023 Authors: Ford G., Rokooei S., Garshasby M.

Recent incidents in Scottsdale and Rio Verde Foothills, Arizona regarding water use in single family dwellings has drawn renewed national attention to climate change, population growth and limited resources on a community-sized scale with real, immediate effects on the residents of this community. Suffering from a long-term drought, the city of Scottsdale administrators are concerned about water supplies for their residents. This concern has resulted in cutting off tanker transported, water supplies for 500 neighboring Rio Verde Foothills homes. Rio Verde Foothills residents have already initiated legal action against the City of Scottsdale. What other alternatives do the Rio Verde Foothills residents have? Local building codes regarding water supplies for single family residences generally specify water requirements, but can a practical, waterless home be built for arid or overpopulated regions? This paper discusses the potential designs for waterless or near waterless homes. Water for drinking, bathing and bathroom uses are typically needed end uses, at a minimum. Potential designs providing for these end uses for single family homes in several different regions of the United States are discussed. Maintenance and installation costs, and ease of installation and maintenance are the primary considerations.