Queen Creek Faces Water Supply Crisis as Population Booms
Queen Creek, Arizona’s fastest-growing city, faces significant housing and water demands due to its booming population. Construction in many of Arizona’s cities necessitates proof of a century-long water supply. Governor Katie Hobbs revealed last June that metro Phoenix’s groundwater could run short within this period, prompting restrictions on new developments, notably affecting Buckeye and Queen Creek. Almost a year later, construction persists in Phoenix’s outer suburbs, but developers remain concerned. Nonetheless, government officials are actively pursuing a new policy solution tailored for affected communities, known as the Alternative Path to Designation of a 100-year Assured Water Supply (ADAWS). Under the ADAWS framework, communities lacking a 100-year water designation could maintain their use of groundwater for population growth in the short term, with a commitment to securing alternative water sources in the long term.