Arizona Implements Construction Limits in Response to Groundwater Depletion in Phoenix Area

Arizona officials announced that the state will no longer grant certifications for new developments within the Phoenix area due to groundwater rapidly disappearing amid years of water overuse and climate change-driven drought. A new study showed that the groundwater supporting the Phoenix area likely can’t meet additional development demand in the coming century. The announcement wouldn’t impact developments that have already been approved, but developers that are seeking to build new construction will have to demonstrate they can provide an “assured water supply” for 100 years using water from a source that is not local groundwater.