Arizona has placed new restrictions on some developments due to anticipated groundwater shortages in the Phoenix area.However, experts told the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. On Monday, it said the rule did not threaten the region’s economic viability.
Chris Camacho, chairman and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, said in a presentation to county regulators that the national headlines that Arizona is putting restrictions on development He said he didn’t tell them everything.
“When you see a headline like that, there’s panic. During that Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I got 250 direct calls asking, ‘What does this really mean?'” Camacho said. rice field.
Camacho said water is a major concern, but companies considering a presence in Arizona should feel comfortable knowing the state is taking steps to manage its resources. He said he points out to customers that the state’s Groundwater Management Act of 1980 was the nation’s first groundwater management law.
“We launched this policy to ensure future water supplies. No other state in the country has done so,” Camacho said.
Camacho added that the advanced manufacturing companies and semiconductor factories that are creating jobs in the region can recycle most of the water they use.
Municipal water users also recycle about 95 percent of their water, Sarah Porter of ASU’s Kir Water Policy Center told the oversight board. She noted that most cities in the Valley have diverse water portfolios and are mandated by the state to reassess the sustainability of their water supply at least every 15 years.
“This should be good news for everyone,” Porter said. there is,” he said.
Porter added that population growth within the city is possible with efficient management.
“We don’t need that much water to grow. There are many things we can do,” Porter said.
Porter said the new restrictions on development are likely to pose the biggest challenges for suburbs like Buckeye and Queen Creek. But she said those communities would also have options to secure new water rights.
“Developing these supplies to keep up with the pace of property development will be a bigger challenge,” Porter said.
