PHOENIX — Arizona’s water squeeze is showing up in house hunting, with real estate agents fielding more questions from buyers about where their water will come from, KTAR News reported.
Warren Tenney, executive director of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, told Phoenix Realtors on Oct. 21 that a smaller Colorado River supply is a “paradigm shift.” Arizona is expected to lose about 30% of its Colorado River allocation starting next year under a new two-year federal agreement.
“We cannot afford to give even the perception that any tap will go dry,” Tenney said. He said conservation alone won’t solve the problem, but cities have been preparing for years.
Each city has its own mix of supplies. About 11% of Tempe’s water comes from the Colorado River, while Scottsdale relies on the river for more than 70%, according to KTAR. Peoria, Queen Creek and Buckeye have bought groundwater from the Harquahala Valley, and Phoenix has invested $3 billion in advanced water purification.
Tenney said the 2025-26 winter produced the worst snowpack ever recorded in the Colorado River Basin and that the river system is down 17% from last year.
He urged agents to tell worried clients to ask city officials about their water portfolio and plans for new supplies.
Sources: KTAR News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
