A retiree, I am a relative newbie to Arizona where I moved into a house in a growing tract. During my two years here, I’ve seen tremendous growth in housing tracts, apartments, and commercial or industrial facilities. Every house, apartment, or non-residential facility needs water.
I’ve lived and worked in countries where quality water in sufficient quantity was always a serious concern, a life and death concern for many people.
We’ve just passed through a hot, dry summer where the monsoon rains were sparse. The drought has been a concern all along the Colorado River where levels have long been low, and water rationing to states like Arizona is a growing concern. We have aquifers that may or may not be running low and may or may not sufficiently meet the needs of communities in the future.
Local political and bureaucratic leaders’ answers to growing water needs are mostly conserve, conserve, conserve. With more people and businesses coming to the Phoenix valley every day, the ‘conserve’ mantra will not suffice much longer.
We need an assured supply of water that will sustain Arizona’s needs for decades to come. I think it’s time for our political, civic, and bureaucratic leaders to pay attention and look ahead beyond their next election or appointment.
Places like Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and others have provided their growing populations, agricultural projects, and businesses with sea water – desalinated water piped to where it is needed. It is imperative that Arizona and her neighbors along the Colorado River watershed do the same to assure a continuing supply of essential water.
Mexico is not a friend. Bringing water from the Sea of Cortez is not a winner.
We need a major scale national project to collect and desalinate Pacific water to be piped to desert states, upper reaches of the Colorado River, lakes Mead and Powell, etc.
We citizens should demand that anyone seeking elective or appointed office pledge to work towards an assured, long-term supply of essential water.