Following the announcement of the federal government’s plans to cut down on Arizona’s water allotment from the Colorado River, questions arose about how the state can sustain its residents while continuing to grow.
Danny Seiden, President and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the interplay between state growth and water use.
Seiden explained that lower water levels should not mean slower growth and development.
“It’s not a valid argument because it’s based on the assumption we’re taking our water from the same place. There are different pools of water companies use to take from,” Seiden said.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau data, Arizona recently ranked 8th in U.S. population growth with a boost of about 0.9% from July 2024 to July 2025. Along with the increase, the Bureau also found Arizona cities like Surprise and Goodyear have ranked among the top 15 U.S. cities seeing the largest numeric increases during the same time frame.
Looking ahead to how these Arizona cities will address this impending water cut, leaders have explored alternative water sources such as building new groundwater wells or advanced water purification plants.
For example, Intel is one of the corporate companies that is working to reduce use of water from the Colorado River by recycling water. Other companies in the valley plan to follow, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Seiden said.
Seiden said that while residents may feel a raise in expenses, Arizona is more prepared than other states impacted by the water cuts and is doing it’s fair share.
“I think Arizona has planned for this. Arizona can withstand this,” Seiden said.
