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Water Crisis

About 15 years ago, I was out in Phoenix and a local was telling me about the unlimited supply of water available from regional aquifers. I had been questioning how the city could maintain all its vernal golf courses in the middle of cactus filled deserts, let alone the rampant suburban development stretching to the horizons. …

By Jonathan D. Miller | Updated on March 30, 2015

About 15 years ago, I was out in Phoenix and a local was telling me about the unlimited supply of water available from regional aquifers. I had been questioning how the city could maintain all its vernal golf courses in the middle of cactus filled deserts, let alone the rampant suburban development stretching to the horizons.

Arid landscapes had not been standing in the way of builders in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada or Southern California either. Cheap land, warm climes, and new houses were a perfect combination for attracting snowbirds and other folks priced out of cold, more expensive and/or poorly ageing neighborhoods in the Northeast and Midwest. Summer heat could easily be offset by air conditioning. In fact, many of the fastest growing cities and counties in the country had been situated in virtual deserts or near deserts. I say had been, because now water or the lack of it will constrain these areas’ development prospects and significantly increase local cost of living.

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