Milagro Cohousing Demonstrates Water Conservation in Tucson

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Molly
  • June 15, 2008
  • Sustainability

The Arizona Daily Star has an article on water conservation that highlights water conservation expert Brad Lancaster of Milagro Cohousing. The article doesn’t have much about cohousing, but describes the water conservation techniques that Lancaster demonstrates at Millagro Cohousing.

In the foothills of the Tucson Mountains west of town, the residents of Milagro Co-housing have mastered the water-capture business. All the water that falls on Milagro, and all the water used in the 28 homes there, is kept on site by careful design.

Six years after the community was built, the mature landscaping of its common areas has created a climate considerably cooler than the desert that surrounds Milagro and the asphalt-crazy city down the hill.

“In summer, when I wear shorts, I can feel the cold air drainage, like water, flowing on my legs,” said Bob Gilby, one of the original residents. “Once you build something like this, the treats come fast, furious and cheap.”

Brad Lancaster, who co-designed the water capture systems at Milagro with David Confer, calls that feeling “the bun dance of abundance” in his many presentations to local groups.

Read the article about water conservation at Milagro Cohousing.

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