WE ARE FACING A WATER SHORTAGE
Growing Overdraft is Draining Our Only Water Source
Our region faces the very real threat of a water shortage. The cause will be the large and growing overdraft that is gradually draining our region's aquifer, our only source of water. See What Is Overdraft.
Each year, the groundwater pumped for people's homes, commercial and institutional facilities, industry and agriculture far exceeds what is being replaced by nature and by artificial recharge.
See How Large is the Overdraft.
- Landscape and golf course water use - especially thirsty turf - consumes excessive amounts of water in our arid environment. See Landscape Water Use.
- Older housing stock usually has many inefficient fixtures. Local and county conservation programs have barely made a dent in the potential to reduce regional water demand (see Current Water Conservation).
- Municipal artificial recharge efforts, originally meant to replenish the aquifer, instead have been designated for new housing and do not help to achieve safe yield. See Limitations of Aquifer Recharge and What is Safe Yield.
- Municipal governments, facilitated by Arizona water law, support aggressive residential and commercial growth in the region. See Why is there water for Growth.
- Drought and temperature increases – climate change – are now reducing natural recharge of the aquifer, thus increasing the overdraft and threatening the Verde River. See Climate Change Reduces Recharge.
What's ahead?
- Tens of thousands of new homes will increase water demand. See Growth Harms the Aquifer.
- Climate models foresee sharply increasing temperatures that tend to reduce aquifer recharge – a perfect storm of increased demand and reduced supply.
- Every day the overdraft grows, shortening the time until rationing or other severe water saving measures will be required.
CWAG is optimistic about our water future only if we can start taking action now. Government officials must first acknowledge the threat of a long term water shortage and then begin to work together to prepare new water management policies and programs. See Actions for a Sustainable Future.
For a summary of the threats to our water supply see this article.
Join the Citizens Water Advocacy Group and help us meet the challenge!
Updated February 7, 2021