Unless you are talking about drought or floods, water can be a bit of a dry topic.

But here in the desert Southwest, it’s an incredibly important one. And thanks to efforts by conservation-minded Albuquerque metro-area residents, and the foresight and efficiency of the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, our water future is bright.

Back in the last century, we thought we were sitting on a virtually unlimited aquifer – actually promoted as a “Lake Superior” beneath our feet. Much to our chagrin, that turned out not to be true. In fact, our profligate pumping of groundwater was rapidly depleting that precious resource.

The response over the years has been impressive, right up to news earlier this month Albuquerque metro-area water users in 2019 cut their per-capita consumption to a record low 121 gallons a day – despite last year being warmer and drier than normal.