What we pay for water doesn't reflect how scarce it is with climate change. Could cities get people to use less water by charging more for it? Decades ago, Tucson did this, and it worked. But the political consequences may have scared off other cities. Now, in an increasingly dire situation along the Colorado River, what if a bunch of cities priced water differently, to change our behavior? Part 7 of a 10-part series. For more CPR News coverage of the Colorado River, visited cpr.org/parched. Host: Michael Elizabeth Sakas Written by Rachel Estabrook Editors: Erin Jones, Joe Wertz Production and Mixing: Rebekah Romberg Theme song by Kibwe Cooper. Additional music via Universal Production Music. Artwork: Maria Juliana Pinzón Executive Producers: Kevin Dale, Brad Turner Additional Editorial Support: Alison Borden, Kibwe Cooper, Jo Erickson, Luis Antonio Perez, Taylar Dawn Stagner, Andrew Villegas Thanks also to Sarah Bures, Hart Van Denburg, Jodi Gersh, Kim Nguyen, Clara Shelton, Arielle Wilson. Parched is a production of the Climate Solutions team of CPR News and Colorado Public Radio’s Audio Innovations Studio — part of the NPR Network.

Americans flush toilets with water that's good enough to drink. We could cut how much water cities need if we reused that water, or flushed without sapping our fresh mountain supplies. From at-home solutions to citywide scale, wastewater reuse and recycling are gaining momentum, and could be on the verge of a breakthrough.  Part 6 of a 10-part series. For more CPR News coverage of the Colorado River, visited cpr.org/parched. Host: Michael Elizabeth Sakas Written by Rachel Estabrook Editors: Erin Jones, Joe Wertz Production and Mixing: Rebekah Romberg Theme song by Kibwe Cooper. Additional music via Universal Production Music. Artwork: Maria Juliana Pinzón Executive Producers: Kevin Dale, Brad Turner Additional Editorial Support: Alison Borden, Kibwe Cooper, Jo Erickson, Luis Antonio Perez, Taylar Dawn Stagner, Andrew Villegas Thanks also to Sarah Bures, Hart Van Denburg, Jodi Gersh, Kim Nguyen, Clara Shelton, Arielle Wilson. Parched is a production of the Climate Solutions team of CPR News and Colorado Public Radio’s Audio Innovations Studio — part of the NPR Network.

Across the country, headlines this week touted a "deal" to save the Colorado River. In this bonus episode, we'll break it down: What you need to know, and what it means for the solutions we're exploring on Parched. Come back next week for our regular storytelling about people and places along the river. Host: Michael Elizabeth Sakas with Ryan Warner Written by Rachel Estabrook Editors: Erin Jones and Joe Wertz Production and mixing: Rebekah Romberg Theme song by Kibwe Cooper Artwork: Maria Juliana Pinzón Executive Producers: Kevin Dale, Brad Turner Special thanks to Ryan Warner. Parched is a production of the Climate Solutions team of CPR News and Colorado Public Radio’s Audio Innovations Studio — part of the NPR Network.

Most people in the West live in cities, and cities can do a lot to change how they use water. We head deep into the glittery, neon heart of Las Vegas. There, under the Bellagio Fountain, we learn that this city of excess is a world leader in water conservation. What is Vegas doing, and how might people who live in other Colorado River cities follow its lead? Part 5 of a 10-part series. For more CPR News coverage of the Colorado River, visited cpr.org/parched. Host: Michael Elizabeth Sakas Written by Michael Elizabeth Sakas Editors: Erin Jones, Joe Wertz Production and Mixing: Emily Williams Additional Production and Editing: Rachel Estabrook Theme song by Kibwe Cooper. Additional music via Universal Production Music. Artwork: Maria Juliana Pinzón Executive Producers: Kevin Dale, Brad Turner Additional Editorial Support: Alison Borden, Kibwe Cooper, Jo Erickson, Luis Antonio Perez, Andrew Villegas Thanks also to Sarah Bures, Hart Van Denburg, Jodi Gersh, Kim Nguyen, Clara Shelton, Arielle Wilson. Parched is a production of the Climate Solutions team of CPR News and Colorado Public Radio’s Audio Innovations Studio — part of the NPR Network.

On the beach in Southern California, it's easy to look at the Pacific Ocean and wonder what would happen if we could drink it. It's already happening in some places, and others from Arizona to the California coast want to expand desalination. If big cities there use more of the ocean and less of the Colorado River, would that leave more water for the southwest? Part 4 of a 10-part series. For more CPR News coverage of the Colorado River, visited cpr.org/parched. Host: Michael Elizabeth Sakas Written by Michael Elizabeth Sakas and Joe Wertz Editors: Rachel Estabrook, Erin Jones Production and Mixing: Rebekah Romberg Additional Production: Emily Williams Theme song by Kibwe Cooper. Additional music via Universal Production Music. Artwork: Maria Juliana Pinzón Executive Producers: Kevin Dale, Brad Turner Additional Editorial Support: Alison Borden, Kibwe Cooper, Jo Erickson, Luis Antonio Perez, Taylar Dawn Stagner, Andrew Villegas, Emily Williams Thanks also to Sarah Bures, Hart Van Denburg, Jodi Gersh, Kim Nguyen, Clara Shelton, Arielle Wilson. Parched is a production of the Climate Solutions team of CPR News and Colorado Public Radio’s Audio Innovations Studio — part of the NPR Network.