I can’t speak for NV but in AZ’s densely populated areas, Phoenix and Tucson included, we have the most regulated and dependable water resource assurance process in the Country, with all new housing developments (and since like 86’) of scale going through a rigorous compliance process that proves that there is at least a 100 year supply of water for all new homes (there are many large vacant parcels on the outskirts of town, particularly in Buckeye where land owners have been unable to prove this up). Phoenix sits upon a vast aquifer that is the basin to which a massive portion of AZ drains. The Salt, Verde and Gila river basins are not in drought and supply both the PHX aquifer in general and through dam and canal diversion to water treatment plants that serve our potable water needs. The Colorado River basin is in extreme drought. Some AZ agriculture, particularly the Pinal County Ag, which took lowest priority CAP water rights in exchange for reduced rates, will be cut off from the CAP (Colorado river water) and will then start once again draining that aquifer (not same aquifer as metro PHX). ADWR has already cut off new development from using ground water in the Pinal AMA for 100-year certificate purposes.
CAL has much bigger problems. It relies on the Colorado river basin for much more of its water and only has 25-year certificate regs. Water right transfers from Imperial Valley Users Association (largest allocation of Colorado River water of any entity) to San Diego and elsewhere are at risk. Ag wells are going dry all across CA for a decade. CA has way over used its water, AZ has not (generally and in PHX for sure, but not for rural AZ where Ag is prevalent, many of those areas have over withdrawn acquirers but almost all of those areas do not get CO river water and are thus not really part of this “Crisis” discussion, those areas have just over used and may/are experiencing dry well conditions). Due mostly to Ag use. Phoenix in fact is using less water now overall than it did in 1980 (when it had 1/3 of current population) through retirement of ag land to housing which uses on average 1/3 of water that flood irrigation farming uses. Yes the main Phoenix WW treatment plant pumps much of its effluent to Palo Verde generating station, but that may end due to rate increases deemed unaffordable to Palo Verde (they are looking at alternatives) but even with that, that water treatment plant is just PHX (takes flows from portions of few other Cities) but there are 20 other treatment plants in the Phoenix metro area, all either pumping that water or settlement basin leaching that water back into the aquifer or using it to supplement potable water in landscape irrigation. Existing and and brand new communities in Phoenix or Pinal or Tucson or Prescott AMAs are absolutely fine for decades. Other parts of State are not as well regulated, but AZ is “gold standard” for consumer protection of water reliability. I’m not worried.
Although I do plan to install fake grass on at least my front yard as I have about 15k sq.ft. of turf irrigation at my home that consumes over 100,000 gallons each month in the summer and I expect my already 5 tier water rate bill in Scottsdale to increase substantially in future, even though City is saying they’re not going to do that… Price of water will likely go up. Scottdale uses like 85% surface water right now, so as CAP rates go up, bills will too.
Another little know fact is that AZ has already “banked” a massive portion of the CO river water that has been delivered to AZ to date by putting it into massive settlement basins in Harquahala, Phoenix, Tucson and Pinal, recharging and increasing water in those aquifers (Harquahala basin is only aquifer in AZ that can be “legally” pumped and transferred to another basin and is up stream of PHX on CAP path and is in the middle of nowhere and has zero development potential; will be monster water resource to PHX in future, hasn’t pumped a gallon towards PHX yet but all in the works (deep pocketed investors lobbied to put this in the law when CAP was built and AZ was required by Fed to establish its “gold standard” laws in 80’s in exchange for Fed $ loan to build the CAP (investors purchased land along the CAP in Harquahala with their ground water rights and/or also then bought CAP water cheap when it was plentiful, “basin’n” it into aquifer and “banked” surface water in the aquifer for future pumping back into the CAP for down stream delivery to PHX, Pinal and Tucson…))). For those who don’t know, CAP is Central AZ Project which is hundreds of miles of a massive concrete lined canal and pumping stations and coal power plat (retired now) necessary to deliver AZ’s allotment of CO river water to PHX and Tucson.
