Arizona Water Supply at Inflection Point; Government Divided on Solution

NU Newsmedia

PHOENIX - Water is perhaps the most vital resource on this planet, and for Arizonans, it is life in every sense of the word. And when it comes to securing Arizona’s precious water supply, there are conflicting ways over how to achieve it.

That is why experts gathered to discuss the state’s water supply status in detail at the ‘Arizona Talks: Water’ forum held on Dec. 5 in Scottsdale. Representatives from the public and private sector reported on water supply conditions, discussed challenges with supply and promoted positive policy change.

‘Arizona Talks: Water’ panelists (from left to right): Kevin McKee, Kristen Johnson, Christa McJunkin, Joanna Allhands, Demion Clinco, Philip Bashaw

“(We) are in an inflection point,” said Christa McJunkin, senior director of water supply for the Salt River Project (SRP). “We have had decades of being able to grow based on water supplies that were secured in the past. Now we are at the point where if we want to continue that pace of growth, we need to make investments and make decisions to acquire new (water) supplies, to change how we use water, to pump water supplies to use in different ways.”