Tucson is recognized as a national and even global leader in urban water management and conservation. But an increased population and new housing would add to overall water consumption.
Yet now we are entering a world with an increasingly challenging climate, dire conditions in the Colorado River basin, and groundwater supplies under pressure. If water supplies are significantly reduced by the federal mandate or by climate change, it will create more pressure on shrinking groundwater resources and may lead to expensive and unappealing sources such as reused wastewater or desalination or even rationing. Ideas like “net-zero” development, which requires developers to offset water use through conservation measures, and sustainable water management without imports from outside the basin and other “hydro-local” practices (as suggested in a 2026 report by the Watershed Management Group) need to replace existing planning and practice. Rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse need to be expanded and integrated into new construction.
The ADWR report of a 100-year supply is delusional given current realities. The challenges we face point to the need for a different framing and new water vocabulary — one focused on clearheaded thinking about conservation for the people and industries who live here and smart choices — rather than blank checks for a 100-year supply — for future development. Conservation should not just be about saving water now to enable more new subdivisions but conservation for the healthy environment and thriving economy we want for ourselves, our children, and our desert. Let’s dream, but let’s also get real.