Skipped Showers, Paper Plates-An Arizona Suburb’s Water Is Cut Off

Rio Verde Foothills, an unincorporated area of Maricopa County adjacent to Scottsdale, can no longer count on its neighbor to supply water to homes there that don’t have wells. This story has caused strife among neighbors and debate nationwide regarding the Phoenix suburb, which may well be a bellwether for development in the state. The water cutoff happened the same month that a report came out saying there’s not enough groundwater for thousands of homes slated for the growing West Valley, so those are in limbo now. As the story notes, “to prevent unsustainable development in a desert state, Arizona passed a law in 1980 requiring subdivisions with six or more lots to show proof that they have a 100-year water supply.”

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/16/us/arizona-water-rio-verde-scottsdale.html