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Before a person may offer subdivided land for sale, he must demonstrate to the DWR that there is sufficient water of adequate quality to meet the needs of the proposed development for at least 100 years. Like conservation, the requirement that water users measure their withdrawals is long overdue. 42 Opportunities To Conserve Considerable opportunities for conservation exist in Arizona. The average visitor to Phoenix is often amazed to find lush green lawns and citrus trees instead of the expected Sonoran desert vegetation. Unlike Tucson, the Salt River valley, where Phoenix is located, has enjoyed the benefits of substantial amounts of surface water, The average water use for the city of Phoenix in 1981 was 267 gallons per person per day, c9mpared with Albuquerque (242 gallons), Denver (213 gallons), and Los Angeles (172 gallons). Amore startling comparison is with the city ofTucson, which uses approximately 159 gallons per person per day. Tucson achieved remarkable reductions in water use through a program aimed not at water conservation but at reducing peak hour usage, Through its "Beat the Peak" program, Tucson reduced its water consumption rate by nearly 20 percent in five years. It is not unreasonable to assume, therefore, that similar reductions can be achieved by Phoenix and other cities in the Salt River valley. Several valley areas can achieve even greater conservation. Paradise valley, for example, served primarily by a private water company, uses approximately 884 gallons per person per day, Even though this high amount is attributable partly to the substantial number of resorts and golf courses in Paradise Vdlley, the per capita use rate is alarmingly high. Although municipal conservation is dearly an idea whose time has come in Arizona, the biggest water savings through conservation can be achieved by agriculture, which in Arizona consumes approximately 89 percent of the water used. If agricultural use of water in the PhoenixAMAis reduced by 15 percent, approximately 330,000 fewer acre-feet of groundwater will be withdrawn each year. ''Assured Water Supply" The Code prohibits new urban development where an "assured water supply" does not exist. Before a person may offer subdivided land for sale, he must demonstrate to the DWR that there is sufficient water of adequate quality to meet the needs of the proposed development for at least 100 years, This provision is one of the most controversial and most important, since it prevents developments from springing up in water-short areas and also protects innocent home buyers. Although developers often grumble about the requirement of demonstrating a 100-year supply, no serious attempt has been made to weaken this provision. The DWRhas processed hundreds of applications for certificates of assured water supply and has issued many certificates. Interestingly, most developers who have been unable to demonstrate an assured water supply have not pressed for a formal denial of their applications, and no one has yet appealed a decision in this area to a superior court.