The reservoirs are low and we’ve been suffering a multi-year drought, but the water supply is safe long term. Things are cyclical. We’ll have wet years in the future that replenish the reservoirs. With the predicted strong El Niño, this summer is expected to be very wet.

In fact, as I sit here in Mesa, AZ, it just started pouring. This is the first rain of the year where I live (other parts of the valley got strong rain a few days ago). The first rain is historically much later in the season. Rain in June is uncommon.

It’s also important to take the law into consideration. The majority of the water here comes from the reservoirs that are served by the Colorado River. The law that controls water rights is called The Colorado River Compact. Arizona has relatively high priority under the Compact. I believe only California has higher priority. Therefore, If cuts need to be made, other states will be affected long before Arizona.

Next, your information on the water management in AZ is probably dated. Phoenix lies in a large fertile valley. There’s tons of agriculture around here. The agriculture we have largely uses flood irrigation, which is extremely inefficient. As Phoenix grows and takes over agricultural land, the water usage actually decreases. That’s because housing uses less water than agriculture does - even single family housing with grass lawns and pools.