‘Water is for fighting,’ but it doesn’t need to be — why I think Arizona has it covered

Cory Mishkin

Submitted photo/Courtney Lively

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Do you agree that Arizona’s groundwater management and infrastructure will keep water flowing and our taps from running dry?

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During more than a quarter of a century of helping people buy and sell homes in Arizona, there has only been one topic that has been a constant source of conversation. I have seen people leave Arizona over it and I have witnessed others pass up lucrative jobs offers here because of it. That topic is water.

As the saying goes, “whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting.” And there has been plenty of fighting about water.

Nothing is more important than this precious resource, so how is it a topic of such confusion — one where rational people make irrational decisions based on false information?

No state in America takes water more seriously than Arizona. Since before statehood, Arizonans have been focused on being responsible with water. The Salt River Project, Central Arizona Project and Groundwater Management Act of 1980 testify to the fact Arizona has worked to ensure its water future since the beginning. Historically speaking, it may be the one topic that has united Arizonans, regardless of their political leanings.

Are we running out of water? Is Arizona going to be some kind of postapocalyptic dystopia? The answer is, emphatically, no. Arizona uses about the same amount of water today as we did in 1957. According to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, we have been using less water every year since 1980.

People who think our taps are going to run dry, simply don’t understand that Arizona cities and towns use only 22% of the state’s water. As farmland gives way to homes, water consumption typically drops significantly on that land. This does not mean we shouldn’t conserve, or do more. But it does point to innovation and our ability to continually stretch each gallon further and further.

Think of your dishwasher. It typically uses less water during a cycle than you running your tap for two minutes. Arizona homebuilders and city leaders are constantly stretching to ensure efficiency. Phoenix now recycles 98% of their water and many cities around the Valley have been recharging our aquifers since the 1990s.

Salt River Project is currently working on a project to expand Bartlett Dam and Reservoir to increase its storage capacity. In my opinion, these are not plans for a place that lacks water, but for one that has an abundance that needs to be stored. 

The next time your friend from Minnesota tells you it’s time to move back to the Midwest, feel confident in telling them your tap isn’t going to run dry in this part of Arizona. Our forefathers planned for this and our infrastructure is built for this.

Editor’s note: Cory Mishkin is a licensed real estate agent and part owner of Cambridge Properties. He lives in Phoenix. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.