To their credit, they are saying anything new would mean sometime in the next 100 years they would run out, so they are stopping it now. Will mean prices there will go up. If someone can prove they are getting water from somewhere else they can still build. But a pretty interesting sign for the future. Arizona limits new construction in Phoenix area, citing shrinking water supply
perhaps it will facilitate the development of desal plants using solar power to help limit the cost of desalination Arizona and the entire west and the entire country has plenty of water, just not plenty of cheap water. If people valued water as much as they value their phone plan, we wouldn't have a problem at all this one pulls water from the ocean but deep wells into brackish aquifers are another potential source of the raw water for the desal plants Arizona Advances $5.5B Mexico Desalination Plant Proposal | Engineering News-Record (enr.com) Arizona officials voted to advance a $5.5-billion plan to build a water desalination plant in Mexico, as well as a 200-mile pipeline and associated infrastructure as part of a state effort to address its drought-driven water uncertainty. But growing controversy around the plan and the method of implementation threatens to derail the proposal. A project team led by Israel-based desalination plant operator IDE Technologies is developing the plan, which calls for construction of water intakes and the plant on the Sea of Cortez in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, plus a series of pumps and pipeline that would transport drinking water across the U.S. border to a reservoir west of Phoenix. The Arizona Water Infrastructure Finance Authority would then purchase up to 1 million acre-ft of water per year from the plant. Its board voted 9-0 on Dec. 20 to direct staff to conduct an analysis of IDE’s proposal and make a recommendation on the plan. The agency was established by state legislation signed by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) this year. IDE says the plant could supply up to 3 million households—more than the 2.6 million households currently in Arizona. It would initially supply less water per year, about 300,000 acre-ft, according to the company.
The city of Phoenix only gets about 2% of its water from ground sources. So do most of the well established suburbs, like Gilbert, the town I live in. We all get our water from either the Colorado River, or smaller rivers in the state like the Salt River. The areas most effected by this new order are in the far outskirts, like the far east suburb of Queen Creek and far west of Buckeye. Phoenix really can't grow much more North or South. North is all protected hills, and South has the protected South Mountain area and some Native American Reservations. But far east and far west is flatter desert, and not owned by NAs. And they have been growing real fast, because you are looking at cheap land, 60 minutes or more from downtown Phoenix, where you can get a lot of house for not a lot of money. If a community is already planned, it's safe. But future communities will certainly be effected, and outward growth will likely slow down. The first change we'll see is "Wildcat" developments will end. These are housing developments outside of city lines in unincorporated county areas. The cities have their own water contracts and supplies, but the Wildcat areas do not. The Rio Verde Foothills area north of Scottsdale is such a community, and for years, they had an agreement with Scottsdale for water. But part of the agreement was the taps would be turned off if/when certain draught measures occur. Future Wildcat developments without a city water protection will now either have to ensure a 100 year water supply from non-ground water sources, or not be built at all. The second change is Phoenix will likely see some more infill projects. There are open tracks of land to develop in the far east areas of Gilbert and the town of Queen Creek. The land is more expensive than QC because it's closer to Phoenix, but these area already have secure water rights through the town of Gilbert. We might also see some more vertical development? The city of Mesa is famous for having just one building more than 2 stories high, and a law forbidding any others. But neighboring towns like Chandler has started to build some taller condos and apartments around the downtown Chandler area, and its thriving. Wouldn't be surprised is some western suburbs like Glendale and Surprise follow along. Long term, this is necessary for desert living. Yes, we have water, and yes, it isn't cheap. It's time to start planning on biting the bullet and paying for resource that if we keep relying on the cheap sources, will literally run dry in the not-to-distant future.
Meanwhile, Arizona allows a Saudi Arabian company to grow alfalfa in their state, using an unlimited water supply. Farms in western Arizona are growing alfalfa – one of the most water-intensive crops – in an area where there's a shortage of water. Some farms are foreign-owned and are shipping the crop to Saudi Arabia, where it's illegal to grow because it takes too much water. "Pumps are pumping water out of the ground that belongs to the State of Arizona, and essentially it's being exported to Saudi Arabia," said Kris Mayes, Arizona's newly elected attorney general. Fondomonte, which is owned by one of the largest dairy companies in Saudi Arabia, bought vast tracts of desert in western Arizona on top of a massive groundwater aquifer in part because there are no regulations on how much water can be pumped out of the ground. Anyone who buys or leases land there can put in a well and draw water. Saudi company draws unlimited Arizona ground water to grow alfalfa amid drought - CBS News
that needs to stop yesterday. literally exporting water I can tell you that every drop of water removed from aquifers in Florida requires permits to do so as the aquifer is considered communal property.
The western states already steal Mexico's water. And that'll get worse as the Colorado is quickly approaching unviability. TBF, Mexico is perhaps even worse in their obligations. They routinely don't fulfill their annual quotas from their own tributaries for five years, then make one mass "payment" every five years to satisfy the debt. That is allowed by treaty, but it's pretty poor form. It is an unintended loophole. The US allocates Mexico's water first, using "drought" loopholes to send less than is required, but that is IMO a more above board practice. I mean the drought is indeed real, and perpetual. In the US there is also a ludicrous web of private and public entities that complicate every last drop of water, and we still address the treaties first. It would cause almost no popular public debate to hoard the water here. In Mexico it is a single entity, and that entity is the government. They essentially have chosen the five year debtor model as the official strategy. They will of course say Mexico First, but that is the entire purpose of treaties, to not screw your neighbors just because them's the breaks. But to get back on topic, I imagine Lake would do something more like build a giant straw and "make Mexico pay for it."
One small problem in the U.S. southwest. We've pumped so much groundwater out of the ground, that the surface is cracking. Some of the cracks (fissures) are up to a mile long, like the one in the picture below. It's also creating sinkholes. Some aquifers in Arizona will never fill back up. Better allow the Saudis to increase their alfalfa crop while you still can! The US has pumped so much groundwater that it's literally splitting the ground open across the American Southwest
Didn’t coke buy billions of gallons of water to bottle and sell. I think it was close to Ocala they bought it. It was nestle.
I know I’m responding to a 3 month old post, but there were some interesting podcast episodes on “Odd Lots” surrounding AZ water including an episode that interviewed an alfalfa farmer. Water aside, it apparently much more efficient to grow alfalfa there vs other places like the east, such their crop turnover is e significantly greater. The farmer mentioned that for many years, it wasn’t a problem, and actually farms like his were using excess wastewater and the water authorities were happy to give it to them. Perhaps the circumstances are different now and we should reverse course, but it was interesting hearing that perspective.
Apparently, someone in Arizona heard you, because "that" stopped yesterday (or today). We are no longer exporting water in the form of hay to Saudi Arabia from Arizona. Foreign-owned farm no longer pumping groundwater on state land to feed cattle overseas, Arizona governor says
