Misting systems for outdoor or patio use are steadily increasing
in popularity, especially in the arid and semi-arid Southwest.
A survey of Tucson water conducted in the 1990s showed three
percent of homes had misting systems in 1992; by 1997, this
figure was up to 12 percent. The survey showed that the
systems were used an average of 3.4 times per week, principally
for cooling pets that were left outdoors.
Consumers should be skeptical
in accepting claims made by misting system manufacturers regarding
the amount of water needed to run the systems. A study funded
by the Arizona Department of Water Resources and conducted
by researchers at the Water Resources Research Center at the
University of Arizona in 1995 showed that three of the five
low-cost brands tested used about 50 percent more water than
they claimed.
