Arizona Economic Prosperity tied to Water Security
The current plan hinges on the $1 billion in federal funding deal to voluntarily conserve 13% of total shared allocation between California, Arizona and Nevada. The cities, water districts, communities and farm operators will in turn be compensated from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Pro-active water experts are calling for desalination efforts to be re-established, citing the success Texas has had - however, the issue is one of cost. The cost is incurred bringing the sea water up from Mexico. So, where Texas has direct access to the the Gulf, Arizona must bring the water up to Yuma - where 30 year old desalination plants are located that were never completed due to $$$ constraints.
The Facts:
1.The Colorado River supplies water to more than 40 million people and roughly 5.5 million acres of farmland in SEVEN U.S. states.
2. Drought, dwindling reservoir levels and increased demand have strained the river.
3. California receives 29% of the allocation
4. Arizona receives 18% of the allocation, and
5. Nevada receives 2% of the total allocation
With new conservation requirements soon to reach the public, it is more important than ever to consider Gray Water recycling. With $360 million of state general fund dollars to be allocated to projects and programs that help to promote the conservation, development, and enhancement of water in Arizona, now is the time to think about personal water conservation efforts in preparation of city and municipality required measures that we will see over the next few years.