Agreeing and Expanding: My Take on The Wall Street Journal Op-Ed About Phoenix and Water

The Wall Street Journal recently released quite a reassuring story for Phoenix residents: "Phoenix Is in No Danger of Running Out of Water."?

It got my attention. You may recall that I live in Phoenix and wrote about how the lack of water in our fast-growing region could impact housing affordability.?

I largely agree with the article. I also know and respect the authors who teach at Arizona State University’s Kyl Center for Water Policy. I had the privilege and honor to speak with Dr. Kathryn Sorensen’s water policy class at ASU Arizona and interviewed her about plumbing and water equity for the IAPMO “The Authority” podcast. Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center and co-author for this article, has also been on our podcast and is on board as our keynote speaker for the upcoming 2024 Emerging Water Technology Symposium.? I regularly highlight and share posts, such as the explainer on how the groundwater moratorium would impact housing prices, from the Kyl Center because of the good work they do.

Here is what I would add:

Good Local Policy Works

I appreciate that Kathryn and Sarah lift up the encouraging fact that despite Phoenix's boom in population, our overall water consumption has remained consistent. This shows our city’s commendable foresight in managing groundwater with an eye on the future. Plumbing and water are local issues due to variances in regional climate, existing infrastructure, and local water quality. Data-driven local policy gets results.

What I Would Add: The Past Impact of Federal Policy

One thing I would add to this article is the significant role of federal policy in driving these outcomes. The Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992 likely played a crucial role in Phoenix's water-saving journey. Considering that most of Phoenix's growth occurred after EPAct 1992 set maximum flow rates and flush volumes for bathroom fixtures, it's likely that the EPAct played a large role in preserving our water resources by reducing water consumption.

Room for Improvement

I also believe Phoenix can do more. Phoenix still uses more water per capita indoors than other major cities according to the Flume Data Labs Household Water Use Index:

Meanwhile, the Alliance for Water Efficiency gives Arizona a “B+” Grade in their national report card for water efficiency.? Considering that we live in a desert, I believe we should be aiming higher: an A- in my opinion is the minimum acceptable grade for Arizona due to the higher priority water needs to take when living in a desert.? Making sure we advance our local policies for even more efficient water use by adopting advanced water efficiency standards is vital.?

Looking Forward

As the climate changes, all municipalities need to remain vigilant and proactive. For Phoenix to become a truly plumbing resilient community, we need good local policy, sound federal policy, and collaboration across the board among industry, academia, and community stakeholders. I'm excited about our journey towards a more water-secure future in my adopted city. Nice work, Kathryn and Sarah!