Kyl Center groundwater report provides guidance on ‘water resilience’

ASU’s Kyl Center for Water Policy published a study on Phoenix’s groundwater use, and the findings conflict with information published by the Central Arizona Home Builders Association.

The Kyl Center examined the growth in the Valley regarding groundwater use and the consequences that come with it. The report is said to provide communities with solutions to become “water resilient.”

According to the Kyl Center, many of the Valley’s larger, older cities view groundwater as a deep long-term savings that we will use if our surface-level supply becomes scarce. However, some programs permit the use of groundwater for growth, acknowledging that groundwater needs to be replenished.

“One concern is that where that water is being replenished is not the place where it is being taken out. This can lead to the depletion of local aquifers and a condition called subsidence, where the aquifers can no longer store water,” said Sarah Porter, Director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy.

To stay water resilient, the Kyl Center proposed the idea that the Colorado River water supply be sent to a surface water treatment plant and delivered to residents’ taps directly.

“We have programs that allow water providers to serve groundwater, and then commit to replenishing sometime in the future,” said Porter.