Albuquerque, New MexicoAccording to the University of New Mexico, temperatures in the state are expected to warm 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) during the next 100 years – four times the rate of warming experienced during the 20th Century. These warmer temperatures will reduce winter precipitation that nourishes streamflow in the San Juan and Rio Grande and moisten the region’s soil. Models indicate that New Mexico is trending toward as many as ten fewer millimeters of annual winter precipitation by 2100, which could leave the state in a “permanent megadrought.”Severe reductions in Rio Grande and San Juan River streamflow could be problematic for Albuquerque, as the city is about halfway through the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project, which will eventually enable 70-90 percent of the city’s drinking water to come from the river. The innovative project has its origins in a 1993 United States Geological Survey finding that Albuquerque’s groundwater resources were far less extensive than had been believed. The USGS finding also spurred the city to begin an aggressive water conservation program that has saved 100 billion gallons since 1994, when per-capita water usage in the city was 250 gallons per day. Today it stands at 165 gallons, and should reach the utility’s goal of 150 gallons per person per day in the upcoming years. Water conservation has been promoted through nearly $9 million worth of rebates that have been returned to utility customers, who have installed approximately 60,000 efficient toilets, 14,000 new showerheads, 5 million square feet of xeriscaping, 14,000 high-efficiency washing machines, and 1,000 rain barrels. In addition, excess water use is discouraged through two summer water bill surcharges that are imposed when a customer’s water use exceeds 300 and 400 percent of the average winter use. 
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