Arizona officials blame water supply for decision not to issue new housing permits near Phoenix

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By Howard FischerCapitol Media ServicesPHOENIX – State water officials said Thursday they will not issue permits for new subdivisions for certain areas on the outskirts of Phoenix, the first real acknowledgment that the water supply in the state cannot support all of the expected growth.Tom Buschatzke, the director of the Department of Water Resources, said a recently completed groundwater analysis in and around the Phoenix Basin shows will simply not be enough to provide the legally required water supply over 100 years. State law requires such assurances in major metropolitan areas before construction can proceed. One foot of an acre is generally considered enough to serve three families for a year. What this means most immediately is that developers in affected areas who have been waiting for the green light to build will not get them. development in the Phoenix metro area to a halt, at least not at this point. This is because all existing municipal and private water companies are currently presumed to have their own 100 year supply. Thus, anyone seeking to build homes in that service territory—and which the utility agrees to serve—is presumed to have the required amount of water and can begin construction without further state approval. But the order could bring some of the sprawl around Phoenix to a halt. Affected areas include some of the largest tracts of undeveloped land in outlying suburbs. This includes much of Queen Creek that does not have its own 100-year Assured Water Supply Certificate. Instead, he sought to import water from other regions. The same goes for a wide band of Buckeye. And then there are large unincorporated areas, which Buschatzke said modeling shows there won’t be enough groundwater below to sustain development for 100 years. water as part of their development, which can range from storing water credits from another community to obtaining a surface water allocation, perhaps from Native American tribes who have their own rights on the water.Gov. Katie Hobbs viewed the new analysis as proof that there is no reason to hold back future growth. “It is also extremely important to note that the model only addresses groundwater and does not address surface water supplies which are an important source of renewable water for our state,” Hobbs said. “What the model ultimately shows is that our water future is secure.” But all of those assurances are based on something even Buschatzke couldn’t guarantee: that Arizona won’t see further cuts in its Colorado River water allocation. Arizona and other lower basin states just reached an agreement to reduce use in exchange for federal money. But that deal only lasts until 2026. After that, Buschatzke said, it’s an unknown. that Lake Mead could reach “the dead pool”, a point at which no river would flow past the dam. But what that means beyond 2026, Buschatzke said, is unknown. “The reductions will be based on what the hydrology provides on the river each year and on the levels of Lake Powell and Lake Mead,” he said. Hobbs, flanked by a developer and the head of the state’s economic development agency, sought to send the message – presumably aimed at outsiders – that things are not bad in Arizona despite the latest announcement. It starts with the fact that none of this has any immediate effect on the development of vacant lots in communities that have their own assured water supply. The governor also said that nothing in the new order affects 80,000 lots. in areas where the state will not issue new permits. required certificate of assured water supply. And Buschatzke acknowledged that a “lot” can translate to more than one single family home. And Hobbs said there were no limits to industrial development. There are also no new restrictions on everything from fountains to golf courses that dot the Phoenix area. Hobbs also boasted that the reservoirs controlled by the Salt River Project are full. Although it is a source of water for agriculture in the region, SRP has also entered into agreements with cities to supply them with surface water. and find efficiencies for our water use, wisely manage our aquifers and increase our use of renewable supplies,’ the governor said. But Hobbs has not yet sought, let alone tried, to mandate any form of conservation . People Should Use Less set aside $40 million in COVID relief funds — money she actually clawed back from programs her predecessor, Gov. Doug Ducey, allocated to others — to promote conservation some water. build a sustainable future for water,” the governor said. “It won’t be a complete answer, but it’s an important first step in the work we need to do.” This question of Colorado River supply beyond 2026 will not only affect the Phoenix area, the one just studied. Other areas of the state, particularly the Tucson area, also depend on this supply. And Buschatzke’s agency doesn’t have a specific date for when it will perform the same groundwater assessment in the Tucson area — and may eventually issue similar orders for development there. bassin.-30-On Twitter: @azcapmedia

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