An innovative new project currently in the works at the University of Arizona called "Conserve to Enhance" would help create a direct and very obvious link between saving water at home and improving the local environment.

The program gives subsidies of $500 to $1,000 to volunteer homeowners to help them install rainwater-harvesting equipment on their properties. Homeowners use the collected rainwater for landscape irrigation instead of running their sprinkler systems. They then track how much water they have been able to save and use the money they have saved on their water bills to make quarterly donations to help restore local wetlands and wildlife habitats.

A homeowner can reduce their water use by a significant amount simply by harvesting rainwater, but the program has inspired some residents to invest in other water-saving strategies as well. Tucson resident Pat Procaccio always had high water bills because of her pool and landscaping water uses. Explaining her efforts to compensate for her high rate of water consumption, she said, "I have two low-flush toilets; I have a rain barrel; and I use drip irrigation, but I’m still trying to find as many ways as I can to save water." Procaccio was particularly inspired by the way in which the program made water conservation affordable for people at all income levels: "As I go into retirement years with a fixed income, I need ways to help the environment and myself," she said.