Water in Arizona
Christy brings an unusual perspective to this subject. She operated an irrigation company for a decade and spent years attending state and regional water-planning meetings, following groundwater levels, water use, and the issues shaping Arizona’s long-term water supply.
Is Arizona going to run out of water?
No, but Arizona does have some real water challenges.
The national conversation tends to focus almost entirely on the Colorado River. Historically, roughly a third of Arizona’s overall water supply has come from the Colorado, with the balance coming from groundwater, in-state rivers such as the Salt and Verde, and reclaimed water.
Agriculture remains by far the largest water user in Arizona, accounting for roughly 72 percent of statewide use. And when Colorado River shortages have required Arizona to take reductions, lower-priority agricultural water has absorbed much of the impact.
That does not mean residential water can never be affected. Arizona has been in a prolonged drought for more than two decades, the Colorado River is under significant pressure, and future management will require continued conservation and new sources of supply.
The more useful question for a homeowner is not, “Will Arizona run out of water?” It is, “Where does the water for this particular property come from?”
What actually protects my house?
Arizona has some of the country’s most established rules for planning around limited groundwater.
Within an Active Management Area, including most of metropolitan Phoenix, new subdivisions generally must demonstrate an Assured Water Supply sufficient to meet projected demand for 100 years. That can be accomplished through the subdivision itself or by receiving service from a water provider that has been designated by the Arizona Department of Water Resources as having an assured supply.
The 100-year standard is an important protection, but it should be understood correctly. It is a long-term water-planning requirement, not a guarantee attached to an individual house.
Arizona is also expanding the ways it uses water it already has. Phoenix, for example, is building advanced water-purification facilities that will eventually turn highly treated recycled water into drinking water, adding another renewable source to the city’s water portfolio.
Are there places I should actually worry about?
Yes. Some areas deserve a closer look than others.
Properties relying on an individual well or hauled water deserve considerably more investigation than a home connected to a major municipal system. Groundwater conditions can vary dramatically from one area to another, wells can decline or require deeper drilling, and extending municipal infrastructure to rural acreage can be prohibitively expensive.
Rio Verde Foothills became the best-known example. Some homes in the unincorporated community relied on water hauled from Scottsdale even though they were outside the city and its water-service area. Scottsdale had warned for years that the arrangement was not permanent, and when that access ended, residents were left scrambling for another solution.
That was a serious water problem. It was also a very specific one.
When we are evaluating a property where water may be a concern, we want to know the actual provider, the source of the water, and whether the property relies on municipal service, a private utility, a well, or hauled water.
I heard Arcadia has better water than everywhere else. True?
No.
Arcadia looks unusually green because of its history. Much of the area was developed from citrus groves and has long-standing irrigation infrastructure. Mature landscaping and flood irrigation contribute heavily to the character people associate with the neighborhood.
And Arcadia is hardly alone. Older areas of Mesa and other parts of the Valley also have historic irrigation systems and remarkably mature landscapes.
Green does not mean the neighborhood was given some special category of water. It usually tells you something about the age of the neighborhood and its irrigation history.
Has water ever killed a deal for you?
Not once in either of our careers.
We have certainly had buyers concerned about water, and we think they should ask questions. But we have never had one of our transactions fall apart because a property connected to an established water provider suddenly did not have water.
Where we slow down and investigate further is when a property has a well, hauled water, an unusual private-water arrangement, or is located in an area where groundwater availability is a known issue.
Thinking about a specific property?
The water question is almost always property-specific. If you are looking at something with a well, hauled water, or an unusual water arrangement, tell us early. We will find out who the provider is and where the water actually comes from before it turns into a problem.
Talk to Dan and Christy