Phoenix Mayor concerned about ‘sensational’ reporting of state’s groundwater shortage
A flurry of coverage in national media outlets over the past few months about Arizona’s so-called water woes were exacerbated when Gov. Katie Hobbs announced on June 1 that some single-family development would have to halt. In the wake of this, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego publicly tried to assuage fears and correct much confusion. First, any Phoenix Active Management Area cutbacks have little to no effect on Phoenix, which gets most of its water from rivers and reclaimed water. Also, ceasing construction in outer suburbs in the far East and West Valley that rely heavily on groundwater is responsible, Gallego said. And the article also pointed to exclusions in the groundwater laws that have allowed out-of-state megafarms to pump water without regulations, leading to some private wells running dry. The article doesn’t mention that none of the development moratoriums apply to multifamily housing.
