The recent article “Expert: No need to panic over water” raised useful points, but it missed a major part of the Phoenix-metro water picture.
Scottsdale residents are being asked to think about Colorado River cuts, groundwater, alfalfa, desalination and advanced purified recycled water. All of those matter. But any serious discussion of future water demand in this Valley also has to include the massive new industrial loads now being added: semiconductor fabs and AI/data-center infrastructure.
I support Arizona’s semiconductor and AI future. I have lectured at ASU in a SEMI professional development context on semiconductor history, manufacturing, EUV lithography, AI-driven chip design and advanced packaging. I understand why these industries matter. But support for the industry does not excuse incomplete public accounting.
