Paper plates and short showers: life with no water in Arizona

[Gefn]

Until the water was cut off.

The neighboring city of Scottsdale decided it could no longer afford to sell its dwindling supply from the Colorado River, as a decades-long drought bites the American West.

For three months, the couple have eaten from disposable paper plates, had lightning-quick showers only every few days and collected rainwater to flush their toilets.

"A lot of people don't take the drought seriously," said Wendy, as she stood in the kitchen of their $600,000 home.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230320-paper-plates-and-short-showers-life-with-no-water-in-arizona

[Fishrrman]

But.... but...
... isn't population growth always to be considered "good"?

Are not more people, always better?

Regardless of the Earth's ability to yield up the resources to support an ever-increasing population?

What about those millions pouring north over the border?
Won't they want showers, too?

[HikerGuy83]

Until the water was cut off.

The neighboring city of Scottsdale decided it could no longer afford to sell its dwindling supply from the Colorado River, as a decades-long drought bites the American West.

For three months, the couple have eaten from disposable paper plates, had lightning-quick showers only every few days and collected rainwater to flush their toilets.

"A lot of people don't take the drought seriously," said Wendy, as she stood in the kitchen of their $600,000 home.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230320-paper-plates-and-short-showers-life-with-no-water-in-arizona

Wha wha wha......

They built those homes without securing water.

**************************************************

You can picture the headline now, and it’s not a good one:

Hundreds of homes lack running water near one of Arizona’s wealthiest cities.

Homes with no wells or connections to a formal water system have been allowed to proliferate in Rio Verde Foothills, a 20 square-mile strip of county land northeast of Scottsdale.

For now, they rely on water trucked in from Scottsdale.

But that will soon change. The city has decided to stop water-hauling services to non-residents in 2023, leaving potentially hundreds in Rio Verde Foothills high and dry if they cannot secure another water source before then.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/joannaallhands/2021/12/14/hundreds-rio-verde-homes-near-scottsdale-were-built-without-water/6441407001/

*******************

So they rely on Scottsdale to truck water.

They never should have built those homes to begin with.

You can't fix.......

[Smokin Joe]

Someone's either going to come up with a viable solution or their property values are going down.

[Cyber Liberty]

Someone's either going to come up with a viable solution or their property values are going down.

Future ghost town.

[Smokin Joe]

Future ghost town.

Unless enterprising folks come up with ways to obtain a water supply and keep quiet about it.

[Wingnut]

I thought the drought was over.  Or is that just up river in Cali?

[HikerGuy83]

Someone's either going to come up with a viable solution or their property values are going down.

Our lakes in the lower Verde River are FULL

[HikerGuy83]

I thought the drought was over.  Or is that just up river in Cali?

It's never OVER.

Nobody can let that happen.

The whole AGW argument turns to dodo if it does.

[bigheadfred]

Our lakes in the lower Verde River are FULL

Who has the rights to that water?

[libertybele]

Future ghost town.

Wow. To think this is happening in the good ole USA is disheartening.

[Smokin Joe]

Wow. To think this is happening in the good ole USA is disheartening.

Why? It is the way of the world. There are hundreds of little prairie towns, bypassed by the railroad back in the day, that dried up and all but (or did) blew away. I can think of a half dozen towns with fewer than 50 residents. (If you can find the old store or saloon site, it's a great place to go metal detecting, and old trash pits yield antique bottles and more).

Some day, the cities that stand now will either be built over or left to ruin. There are plenty of ancient examples we call tourist attractions (and archaeological sites) from thousands of years ago, worldwide.

[Cyber Liberty]

Our lakes in the lower Verde River are FULL

I heard that about the Salt River lakes....

Sounds like Snotsdale is just refusing to sell them water in the County Island, while they have plenty available.

[HikerGuy83]

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/joannaallhands/2023/01/25/arizona-not-out-water-rio-verde-foothills-west-valley/69836360007/

Wow...AZCentral can write some informative articles....who knew ?

The root cause of Rio Verde Foothills’ water problems is that state law allows property owners to subdivide land into less than six lots and avoid requirements to prove they have secured a 100-year water supply.

Homes were built solely on the promise of hauled water. The potential risk of such a deal was glossed over with homeowners. And despite all the negative coverage lately, people are still building in the area.

It doesn’t matter that these so-called wildcat lot splits encompass a fraction of the homes we build every year. Or that not all homes in Rio Verde Foothills are affected, just those that relied on Scottsdale for hauled water.

*** Read the part where it says people are STILL building in that area ? ***

If there is a future Ghost Town, that is it.

Continuing......

Water is still being hauled to Rio Verde Foothills, albeit from other spotty sources that are vastly more expensive. Residents haven’t lost water; they’ve lost access to cheap water.

That is unlikely to change if EPCOR, a private water provider, is given the green light in April to more permanently serve these residents. Solving the affordability problem won’t be easy.

**************

Oops...they are getting water.  But people will still lie about it.  They never secured their sources.  THEIR FAULT.

[roamer_1]

I'd be spending the money on underground cisterns...and roofs and gutters to fill em.
Add a solar pump and independence or at least a supplement becomes feasible.

[libertybele]

I'd be spending the money on underground cisterns...and roofs and gutters to fill em.
Add a solar pump and independence or at least a supplement becomes feasible.

 

[HikerGuy83]

I'd be spending the money on underground cisterns...and roofs and gutters to fill em.
Add a solar pump and independence or at least a supplement becomes feasible.

Not in planned communities.

[roamer_1]

Not in planned communities.

Wouldn't know.
Wouldn't live there if you gave me the place.
If I can't piss off my own porch, it ain't for me.

As for them that do, that's on them. 

[HikerGuy83]

The thread premise is a lie.

These morons didn't secure their water. 

End of story.

[roamer_1]

The thread premise is a lie.

These morons didn't secure their water. 

End of story.

Or there was an historically cheap method available and it wasn't a problem until they started jacking the price.

[HikerGuy83]

Or there was an historically cheap method available and it wasn't a problem until they started jacking the price.

The city of Scottsdale was under no obligation to supply them.  They simply pulled back.

Did you read where MORE houses are being built.  Some people just don't learn.