As first reported by NBC News, more than 500 households in the rural Arizona desert are going to be without running water in January of 2023. The homes were built without complying with Arizona's 100 year water supply requirement. Rio Verde doesn't have its own water system. People in the area rely on private wells or water trucked up from the nearby city of Scottsdale.
In response to the ongoing and worsening megadrought, the city of Scottsdale declared late last year that it would cease hauling water to communities outside the city limits on January 1, 2023. Residents haven't found a solution to the deadline.
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The proposal from Rio Verde residents to form their own domestic water improvement district was rejected by the county at the end of August. No firm decisions have been made and no community-wide fixes are underway as a result of the proposed deals.
Housing developments in Arizona are supposed to have 100 years worth of water supply approved for construction under the Assured Water Supply Program. Around 2,200 houses in the Rio Verde foothills were built without a long-term water source thanks to a loophole in the law. Many of the households that used to have working wells are now without water.
According to NBC News, the water-trucking operation was only meant to be a short term fix. The city is trying to reduce its water usage.
A Tier 1 water shortage on the Colorado River reduced the amount of water southwestern states could get from the river. The shortage designation was raised to Tier 2a in August.
The practice of exporting water beyond the city was stopped to help the city lower its consumption. The city has been encouraging its residents to reduce their usage. Though residents have made some progress, the drought continues.
The lake's water level is at a record low in November. In every month of the year, the lake has been at its lowest. This year's monsoon season wasn't enough to make up for the deficit Climate change may be causing the U.S. to go into a permanent state of dry weather. According to a study published earlier this year, 42% of the Southwest's current dry spell is due to climate change.
Poor planning and the climate crisis can lead to disastrous results.
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