The 23-year drought that’s parching the Southwest is forcing Arizona to make a bitter choice. Unless developers can find new sources of water, the state’s largest master-planned housing development is going to remain a desert.
It's not just an Arizona problem. Across the American West, demand for housing is increasingly running into water shortages. Surface waters like the Colorado River are drying up, forcing cities and farmers to turn to groundwater. Unfortunately, most groundwater is finite, and once depleted it's difficult or impossible to replenish.
So unless developers can figure out a stable, long-term alternative, a future of fast growth in the American West is in serious doubt. Even in a best-case scenario, housing is set to become more limited and even more expensive. Whatever solution Arizona settles on in the coming years could set a precedent for other cities and states that will inevitably find themselves at a similar crossroads.
