Choosing the right spot to build a home in Arizona on a vacant piece of property is just as important as choosing the property itself. This fact sheet describes the factors that should be considered before beginning construction on any given piece of property. Revised 9/2016; Originally published 1/2011

Onsite/septic system owners need information on how septic systems work, how to maintain them and precautions to take to decrease the potential for the septic system to contaminate groundwater or surface water. This article helps septic system owners to manage their household septic system by providing information on controlling volume and quality of wastewater, maintaining the septic tank and the drain field.

Chemical contaminants occur in drinking water supplies throughout the United States, ranging from barely detectable amounts to levels that could possibly threaten human health. Determining the health effects of these contaminants is difficult, especially since researchers are still learning how chemicals react to the damaged cells. This publication addresses the issue of chemical contaminants in drinking water, topics include; acute and chronic health effects, setting standards, and treatment techniques.

Knowing how your on-site septic system functions will help you understand how to care for the system to maximize its ability to treat your household's wastewater. This publication gives a brief overview on how septic systems work. Topics also include the soil absorption system and managing your system.

Your septic tank is the first step of the waste-water treatment process and must be properly maintained in order to work correctly. Inadequate maintenance can cause sewage to back up into the house and solids to overflow to the drain field. Often, the drain field must be abandoned and a new one constructed when solids clog the soil. This publication is one of the fact sheets in a series developed to help septic system owners maintain their septic systems.

Hardly a week goes by without a major news story related to the global and local environment. Every one has heard of global warming and the climate changes being felt as average temperatures rise in most parts of the world. At the state and local levels we have all heard about the dwindling water resources how these might limit the future growth of Arizona. Without electrical energy (electricity) to keep cool and pump water life in our arid and semi-arid climates would become unbearable. What we often do not realize is that electricity production, water resources and global warming are all interconnected. By becoming more aware of the global issues that are confronting us, we will also become more sensitive to local and individual concerns. And by acting individually and locally we can have a positive impact in controlling the global issues that we all face. In the first page, this Bulletin hopes to bring renewed awareness to AZ residents and their need to conserve electricity in their daily lives by connecting their individual actions to local, state and global effects. The following topics will be introduced: Global Warming and its Local Impact Arizona Water Resources Electricity Production in Arizona The second page will be devoted to providing energy saving tips at home by providing a primer of basic electricity concepts, how to measure electricity usage at home, examples of wasted electricity, and tips on how to reduce electricity use at home with little effort or discomfort.