Arizona town to cut off water to Rio Verde Foothills amidst western water crisis

After years of warning to find another source of water, Scottsdale, Arizona will officially cut off water to Rio Verde on January 1. The move is the latest amidst the west's growing water crisis. CBS News correspondent Brook Silva-Braga has more.
#arizona #news #climatechange #drought
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[@hendman4083]

A problem that has been getting increasingly serious over the past couple of years, but I don't see any water saving measures. I see lawns, pools and desert farming.

[@YouMockMe]

Right...farming in the desert, solid plan.

[@nolongerblocked6210]

Farming is the real problem, farms use 70% of the water allotment, the other uses are ancillary

[@AlienWebguy]

We have horse ranches out here and they'll run sprinklers for hours spraying dirt just to keep the dust under control. I hate our species sometimes.

[@phole1100]

Humans will NEVER willingly sacrifice their own livihoods for the good of the whole. It is against our nature. Humans must be forced to do this if we are to survive a changing climate

[@AlienWebguy]

@@phole1100 Some people do but it’s a slim minority at best.

[@judithlpn-quilter7757]

I raised my kids on a little farm in Pa. We depended on a well for water and our well was shallow. We were very cautious about water use. Pa. Had plenty of water but rural areas did not get it. Now I live in Texas and I am amazed at how people waste water in this super dry and hot area. When asked Texans say “We are entitled to us water-we pay for it “ They think water is unlimited even tho the News gives us the aquifer level daily. This whole city of San Antonio survives on 1 aquifer and it is growing rapidly with not thought of water. Americans are going to have a grim future if we don’t learn to use resources sparingly.

[@justman777texas2]

I agree with you about San Antonio. I lived there for many years and through two extended dry spells. The whole time, developers were still putting in new neighborhoods.

[@kurtbrisch5776]

Americans aren't the only ones who are going to have a grim future, this is a global issue.

[@BlastinRope]

Water is virtually unlimited, what we are lacking is human imagination, ingenuity and engineering. Water can travel in a pipeline, there are places with more water than the desert. The ocean is nothing but water and nuclear power plants can desalinate it.

[@UandMeGod]

Exactly JudithLPN-Quilter! I also live in Dallas TX and moved here from WA state. I literally watch ppl wasting water all the time out here and just like you said when asked they answer in an entitled tone that they pay for it! What are they gonna say when the tap runs dry? They just don't get it!

[@MessyPointedBlob]

@@BlastinRope That's not a human imagination or ingenuity problem. It's a political problem. No politician wants to pay for water desalination plant projects that takes more than a election cycle to complete and makes no immediate noticeable impact to individuals and hence no political points. Engineers have solved desalination a million times over otherwise. Nobody will care until literally the clock runs out. Then they can score some election points when "they grace the dehydrated messes with water"

[@jamesblack9382]

He never once mentioned bad farming practices and clear cutting trees that used to hold the water in the soil to make way for farming

[@joebloe1401]

PLENTY OF WATER--TOO MANY PEOPLE--CAUSED SOLEY BY IMMIGRATION!!! USA POPULTAION STOPPED INCREASING IN THE 1970s --IT'S ALL ABOUT IMMIGRATION!!!

[@realberla2518]

Thats cool James, go eat your plastic! Dont need crops right?

[@jamesblack9382]

@@realberla2518 Never said we didn't need crops of course we do. Just need to do it responsibly instead of how we do things now. Do your research about soil microbiology content and blessings to your life.

[@theodoreolson8529]

I'm reminded of the Utah governor saying "pray for rain" while small high desert cities like St. George have 13 golf courses. Whatever.

[@chrisbrowne4669]

St George is over a huge aquifer at the base of the Rockies. Utah would like to turn that area into urban with industrial to support it. They keep bringing in Mormogrants from around the world to be with the faithful.

[@scottprather5645]

It's the Christian way

[@ERAforALL]

Residents in St. George use 275 gallons per household compared to Las Vegas, which uses 116 (and Las Vegas recycles nearly every drop of water used indoors). St. George was campaigning to build a pipeline to Lake Powell, which is in dire drought crisis now. It’s power plant is being kept operational by withholding water allotment from Lake Mead.

[@josepha.r5839]

We may have watched same KZbin presentation. 👌

[@jeretso]

Too hot to play golf

[@sasham1280]

Sounds like they should have never built homes there in the first place if they didn't have a reliable source of water, but they did anyway. Something tells me they've been warned about the cutoff for a long time too, so they had their chance. I'm also blown away that building is still being done, mind boggling

[@ashleydaniel3215]

Yup stories about this community have surfaced for years so they had time to adjust to reality

[@Susweca5569]

I'm obsessed with water. I live in Western Washington. I've always been of the opinion that where you live is of no use or relevance if you don't have water. I'm rural and live on an excellent well, don't have to pay for water, and can drink out of the tap. People joke about the amount of rain in Western Washington but that's why it is the way it is. I'll never live anywhere else.

[@pathfinderg1909]

What's the saying from politics the great reset 😊

[@TheLoneMitten]

Sprawl is the only way to get more tax money.

[@basedoz5745]

You are absolutely correct. These people moved to unincorporated land with the benefit of less government, purchased multimillion dollar homes, then after decades of warnings are only doing something now? As an AZ resident I don’t feel bad for them. Especially when Thomas Galvin is on their side. A literal lobbyist for the Saudi company exporting the most water intensive crop in the region.

[@Psyi1]

Rio Verde is a millionaire based community which most homes are either investments or snow birds. Maybe half of the people who reside there live there year round. It’s built around a huge golf course, I have no sympathy for that community and the situation they’re in. The devs bought up land cheap and flipped it with their left clients holding the bags. The community should sue the dev company. There’s no way Scottsdale is going to sell them more water as well as other communities.

[@bluelava4282]

🏆 Unreasonable yes

[@igit_7296]

Water is a right; this is about FREEDOM. Scottsdale is being selfish!

[@frankiel3767]

@@igit_7296 the problem is that the people who moved to Rio Verde did so specifically to avoid paying taxes to fund a government entity that would solve this exact problem. Now they want a government they don’t want to associate with, to bail them out

[@Xx-po1fu]

@@igit_7296 Water is a resource not a right.

[@yearight5303]

@@Xx-po1fu That's what Nestle says.

[@patrick247two]

It's not a water problem per se, it's a attitude problem.

[@josepha.r5839]

it's an attitude problem. 👌

[@ent1311]

Definitely an attitude problem. In the north we have to spend hundreds of millions on snow removal every year. We have to shovel snow early in the morning. We have to spend hundreds of thousands insulating our homes and modernizing our heating options. We have to winterize our public infrastructure. That's just the tip of the iceberg. We adapted to the unique challenges our environment has given us. They haven't despite how trivial it is in comparison. How easy is it to make desert friendly lawns mandatory, ban companies that use water for non essential use, ban animal agriculture farming in the area, and other simple painless measures? It's strange seeing how pathetic these people are. They need the pain that will come for their own good. Maybe then they will respect nature. Hopefully the federal government doesn't bail them out before they learn their lesson.

[@trafficispeople5750]

@TNerd why should that mayor provide things to residents outside of the city he serves? They didn't want to live in city limits and pay taxes there, but they want help from that city. It's unfortunate, but I don't know any city that would agree to that during a major drought.

[@kli9005]

@TNerd Wouldn't the right thing to do would be to limit housing permits, and high water usage when your city does not have enough water?

[@phoenix5054]

It's a water AND attitude problem.

[@kathylewis2484]

Cut off water to all the alfalfa crops owned by Saudi Arabia in AZ. I lived here since 1958, been through the water crisis prior to the Colorado River allotment. We don't need olympic size pools in every other yard either.

[@monkknom6919]

CANT DO THAT THAT BE FAKE NEWS OUR ORANGE GOD SAY INFACT MTG SAY NO WAY WE WONT DO THAT BECAUSE WE WANT U TO SUFFER!!!! GO MAGA

[@haydnreycraft7193]

Lol they don’t use that much water and they bought their water rights for a big price, which definitely supersede your water rights in age.

[@haydnreycraft7193]

Not to mention they don’t use colorado river water…. They use ground water because they are outside of an AMA.

[@kathylewis2484]

@@haydnreycraft7193 From Arizona PBS: Arizona is leasing farmland to a Saudi water company, straining aquifers, and threatening future water supply in Phoenix. Fondomonte, a Saudi company, exports the alfalfa to feed its cows in the Middle East. The country has practically exhausted its own underground aquifers there.Aug 22, 2022.

[@kathylewis2484]

@@haydnreycraft7193 Alfalfa is a HIGH WATER USE crop because it has a long growing season, a deep root system, and a dense mass of vegetation. The amount of water needed is governed by temperature, wind, humidity, and the amount and intensity of light. You don't know what you're talking about. If we had sufficient ground water this conversation would be unnecessary.

[@northerniltree]

And now even Kari Lake is drying up.

[@sharon94503]

I approve of this message.

[@davediamond7228]

that's not a lake...it's a cesspool lies and hate !

[@AlienWebguy]

Lol

[@chenworth1]

😂

[@dwjoseph59]

🤣😆

[@Thr3atlvlmidnight]

We waste so much water on golf courses, fountains, lawns... No one is taking this seriously. They will once people are literally fighting over water. Edit: Yes I'm aware grey or recycled WATER is typically used for agriculture, golf courses, ect.. It's still WATER though..we need to conserve WATER.

[@nolongerblocked6210]

Did u not listen to the video? It's not the millions of citizens, it's the farms/farmers using 70% of the water. This is eerily similar to the plastic recycling crisis we're in. The plastic companies put recycling symbols on everything & then guilt trip the public about "recycling to save the planet", but the public is only responsible for 30% of the plastics being made/used. The giant industrial corporations use 70% of all the plastics that've ever been produced & most don't recycle at all bcuz it's cheaper to buy new plastics or they can't recycle their plastics bcuz of what was in them. So even if we recycled everything we can, we still can't fix the problem bcuz the corporations aren't recycling & they generate over double the amount of trash than the public. So until the farmers decide, or are forced, to act more responsibly the water problem will never be solved...exactly the same as the plastic issue, it's up to the corporations to fix their problem but they won't bcuz they only care about profits

[@mikedonovan4434]

Too many people fighting for dwindling, critical resource. What could go wrong?

[@ERAforALL]

@@nolongerblocked6210 I understand that some of that agricultural water usage goes toward raising water thirsty alfalfa, much sold to China. That needs to STOP.

[@Thr3atlvlmidnight]

@@mikedonovan4434 yeah, and every one wants to point fingers instead of just make the changes they can. 🤷🏽‍♂️ We're doomed 😅

[@nolongerblocked6210]

@@ERAforALL yep, alfalfa is grown for Saudi Arabian & Chinese billionaires with 100s of horses & nuts are also extremely water intensive to grow

[@eswift8318]

To paraphrase the wise philosopher Kinison: "See this? This is sand. You can't eat it. Nothing grows in it. In a hundred years, you know what it will be? Still F-ing SAND!"

[@thetranya3589]

Move to where the food is !!! Lol

[@ibdam1]

👏🏾👏🏾❤️❤️

[@dwjoseph59]

AMEN & WELL & FACTUALLY SAID

[@joebloe1401]

PLENTY OF WATER--TOO MANY PEOPLE--CAUSED SOLEY BY IMMIGRATION!!! USA POPULTAION STOPPED INCREASING IN THE 1970s --IT'S ALL ABOUT IMMIGRATION!!!

[@frankblangeard8865]

The people in Rio Verde have the 'freedom of living outside the city limits" 0:42. I wonder if that means that they have freedom from paying city taxes and conforming to city building codes etc. Freedom of that kind comes at a price.

[@totemdiamond6447]

All that’s there really is just a bunch of houses in a gated community, so they probably have their own rules.

[@joebloe1401]

PLENTY OF WATER--TOO MANY PEOPLE--CAUSED SOLEY BY IMMIGRATION!!! USA POPULTAION STOPPED INCREASING IN THE 1970s --IT'S ALL ABOUT IMMIGRATION!!!

[@yearight5303]

That is 100% the issue. They chose to live there to avoid paying the taxes.

[@donaldkasper8346]

There are state and county building codes. Cities usually follow those. They might have additional codes for traffic, etc.

[@charleswhite7035]

@@yearight5303 paying less taxes usually results in having less service. It will cost more now to address a permanent solution. Developers make decisions that are beneficial to them not the public. Even though they are running out of water there are still homes being built there.

[@andyjohnson3790]

Our agriculture Wants/needs take a MASSIVE toll on our environment, and the worst part is almost 40% of the food in the US just goes to waste and doesn't even get eaten.

[@rodneyws1977]

And we still have hungry people!

[@ashleydaniel3215]

🤷 when there's nothing left- They can eat their own words

[@edwelndiobel1567]

Yeah because of restaurants!

[@katiedid1851]

What is REALLY strange to me is as follows: people in those 7 states are still planting lawns (grass🙂), contractors are still building with no guarantee of potable water, people are still moving to/buying, golf courses are being watered (gotta have those greens), etc. And then, Alfalfa....grown here in Arizona and Nevada on Saudi-OWNED farms and harvested and sent to Saudi Arabia to feed their horseflesh. Why. Oh why.

[@fritobuggers834]

Because money talks

[@joebloe1401]

PLENTY OF WATER--TOO MANY PEOPLE--CAUSED SOLEY BY IMMIGRATION!!! USA POPULTAION STOPPED INCREASING IN THE 1970s --IT'S ALL ABOUT IMMIGRATION!!!

[@andrewbenson8842]

Forgot all the massive semiconductor factories built in the last year too that are water hogs. They recycle some water but still use millions of gallons a month.

[@Dovietail]

It would be VERY different for those of us in AZ if we were actually paying what water actually cost. That would bring immediate clarity to a difficult situation.

[@fluxcapacitor1621]

Rich people wouldn't care.

[@ent1311]

@@fluxcapacitor1621 yes they would. Less golf courses, water parks, lawns, factory animal agriculture farming, and other huge wastes of water if water was 20x more expensive. The amount of water people use for drinking, hygiene and cooking and other essential uses accounts for less then a percent of total water use.

[@esgee3829]

@@ent1311 and far fewer are rich when paying what market rates will be to sustain a pool and a lawn. and grow lots and lots of cows and lettuce and alfa alfa.

[@phole1100]

Omg so true

[@donaldkasper8346]

Sure, raise the price 5000% for what it is really worth. Enjoy your economy.

[@thinkingmobility]

"The pioneer attitude" as the gentleman said at the end is nostalgia and romanticism. The 'old west.' The Mayor of Scottsdale isn't being stingy. He has a million constituents to serve. His decision is in fact the embodiment of the pioneer attitude: you are on your own. He's only forcing those desert home owners to face up to their realities.

[@scottprather5645]

Thanks you're a real genius...think about your statement. they're allowing wealthy homeowners to have Lawns and pools golf courses Etc while the Colorado River Runs Dry. And one of their Solutions is to cut off the water supply to a small town that desperately needs water that's the Pioneer spirit? What planet do you live on?

[@ERAforALL]

I’m rather curious about what the residents of Scottsdale, perhaps the wealthiest community in Arizona, are doing to conserve water among themselves. Las Vegas recently posted the names of it biggest water users, including a Saudi prince; some began immediately reducing water usage. The water company has since changed its water pricing to make those big water users pay as much per gallon as everyone else, which they hadn’t. I suspect that Scottsdale’s water usage should face scrutiny.

[@HOHLfmly]

@@tnerd3756 I don’t think that matters we’re talking about the point of how much water you all are using!

[@basedoz5745]

@@ERAforALLlol the people in this video are in an area that homes were worth millions of dollars next to multiple golf courses. Thomas Galvin, the guy in this video they are looking for help from was a literal lobbyist for that Saudi company you are talking about. These people moved to unincorporated land buying water from another city, with decades of warnings. But now they want the government’s help?

[@basedoz5745]

@@HOHLfmlymaybe the people of this town should be looking at themselves? Have you ever looked at a map of where they live? Maybe they should get their own priorities straight during those decades of warnings.

[@xfiles4792]

The town of Rio Verde is about a 20 minute drive from me. It's a golf course community. I don't understand why gold courses aren't closed first when water is scarce.

[@basedoz5745]

That would mean they need to sacrifice. Never tell millionaires living in unincorporated land to sacrifice for they greater good, when they can blame another city for their problem.

[@privacylock855]

Rio Verde has nothing to do with Rio Verde Foothills which was provided with water by the City of Scottsdale

[@alksjda]

lives in desert.... ACTUALLY surprised water is hard to come by... 🤡

[@pamelaevancha4337]

And how will the Hoover Dam make electricity with a dry river?

[@samboggs3499]

And the really ironic part is, the engineer who designed it as being akin to the Egyptian pyramids and over engineered it to last for centuries. He even marked the opening date with a star map... What a joke....

[@veramae4098]

The Hoover is now holding back water, so it has enough to run the hydroelecctric generators. They're not releasing any extra ... which was used for homes, businesses and farms.

[@notanymore9471]

@@veramae4098 how does it make electricity without releasing water? It can’t that’s the answer.

[@JJSmalls]

@@notanymore9471 "Holding back water" is not the same as "not releasing water"

[@chadwickmyers3285]

Arizona has banked water in Lake Mead for years now. It has kept the water levels high enough to keep generating electricity. Should this play out badly for California and Nevada, Arizona can at any time request their water be sent to them and they could run the lake dry enough to stop hydroelectric production. This is a complex issue and even the Mayor of Scottsdale seems to be ignorant of the basic facts.

[@nicolevolkman9835]

I did not hear one mention of all of the hotels, golf courses, residence, shopping resorts, extravagant water, fountains, and pools that take up an enormous amount of water from the Colorado river in Las Vegas. The argument always comes down to farmers. Nobody’s questioning why….

[@zeldasmith6154]

He who controls the water, controls the world.

[@dwjoseph59]

👍👍👍👍

[@martywanlass4774]

My Mother sold our farm but did not sell all her water rights. She told us then that water was an investment. She was so right. Many years later she did sell those water rights for far more than the original price.

[@vinroc]

I’ve got a friend in AZ I asked about the water crisis and he said don’t believe everything you hear . Guess he’ll find out if he’s right or not

[@MyDarkSide62]

We will all find out here soon enough. It is a frightening thought to be without water in your home

[@davidmurray5399]

When you live in a desert, this is what happens.

[@greglautz8470]

Having grown up in phoenix, we were taught in elementary school a slogan of SWA SWA. It means save water and save water again. I have always remembered that when I see water being wasted. Yet every single person I know that is not from the Phoenix area, they have no respect or appreciation of water out here and see them using it carelessly and wastfully time and time again yet nothing I can do or say to try to change their attitudes has impacted it

[@meahdahlgren6537]

David Murray will sometimes

[@dwjoseph59]

Yep

[@meahdahlgren6537]

@@dwjoseph59 sometimes

[@scottprather5645]

It's interesting that Scottsdale will not put water restrictions on the people that are growing lawns in the desert even though there's a drought emergency. the State of Arizona allows Saudi Arabia to have Farms which pump out groundwater at an unsustainable level and ship the alfalfa and feed to their country. issue building permits in areas that don't have a water supply pretty insane system if you ask me.

[@commonsence8223]

Can't fix stupid, unfortunately.

[@karsonkevin2]

Just increase the rates for water. If people want to continue paying to use it, let them.

[@scottprather5645]

@@karsonkevin2 not a good fix cuz the wealthy will still consume Too much water. Need to have regulations

[@MsJenniferinNYC]

FACTS!!!!!!

[@MsJenniferinNYC]

@@karsonkevin2 well, the consumption still won't change because they'll STILL pay whatever it costs

[@robertfrancis6967]

Its frankly amazing on how many people who have lived in Arizona and are still pouring from California are completely oblivious to how serious the water situation actually is. The ground water across the state is to contaminated for consumption and lake mead is afew feet from the cutoff level for Arizona

[@meahdahlgren6537]

Will sometimes

[@boristheamerican2938]

Idk see it in the news much? All the media talks about is Hunter Bidens laptop, Trump this and that, everyday they ask if Biden is going to run in 24 about 100 times but real issues they barely mention. Probably because we dont want to watch real news.

[@philwhipple4557]

The ground water across the state is to contaminated? Say what? I live here in Arizona and have a well.

[@donaldkasper8346]

@@philwhipple4557 Probably arsenic.

[@everythingisfine9988]

They will eventually claim a disaster and expect the rest of the country to buy them out of their property and relocate them. Total BS

[@ToddAndelin]

My 88 year old uncle Bob has always told me that land is useless unless it has water. He learned this from his Surveyor/ Engineer grandpa who was literally born in the 1880's

[@codymoe4986]

As opposed to being figuratively born in the 1880s? Take "literally" out and your post meams "literally" the same thing...

[@joebloe1401]

PLENTY OF WATER--TOO MANY PEOPLE--CAUSED SOLEY BY IMMIGRATION!!! USA POPULTAION STOPPED INCREASING IN THE 1970s --IT'S ALL ABOUT IMMIGRATION!!!

[@scottmcshannon6821]

temporary solutions are just silly, the only real solution is less people and less agriculture.

[@EvolutionWendy]

Phoenix will soon be home to a giant Silicon Chip Factory-a water hog industry‼️The Colorado River cannot give more than it has...🌊

[@Pagliacci67]

Their build a water treatment center on the campus. So they'll clean grey water, use it on their chips, clean it again, then add it to the reserve water basin. So they'll actually be adding more water than they take

[@EvolutionWendy]

@@Pagliacci67 Thank you, that is good news!!

[@ERAforALL]

@@Pagliacci67 Las Vegas already recycles all water used indoors in exactly the same way. Add a decades long water conservation education to homeowners. I believe that only Tucson uses less water per household than Las Vegas does.

[@codymoe4986]

@GuiseppuGiovani...You can't "add" water to the world's water supply. They will simply be using less...

[@Utah_Mike]

AZ has had record monsoon the past few years. Set up rain harvesting & storage. A change in personal water usage is a must. It can be done with adjustments.

[@hoppy375]

Water utilities don't want self sufficient customers

[@cesarcueto1995]

@@hoppy375 ridiculous

[@cesarcueto1995]

2022 was about average. We haven't had record monsoon except for one year out of the past 5 or so.

[@joebloe1401]

PLENTY OF WATER--TOO MANY PEOPLE--CAUSED SOLEY BY IMMIGRATION!!! USA POPULTAION STOPPED INCREASING IN THE 1970s --IT'S ALL ABOUT IMMIGRATION!!!

[@Streghamay]

For people who need water so badly, one would think they wouldn't let the hose leak out water all over the ground..

[@hospicedragon96]

hydroponics uses less water. Quit growing lettuce in the soil.

[@teem9010]

why dont they? is there a reason? is it more expensive or not as productive? i wonder now.

[@hospicedragon96]

@@teem9010 hydroponics is more productive and you can grow vertical as well with hydroponics. It doesn't cost more it just requires change and a lot of people fight changes even if those changes will actually improve the quality of their lives and/or businesses. Old School doesn't want to learn new things. Think about all the people you know who don't read. They hate it. They wanted to stop leaning before they were in high school. You know a good portion of the people who voted for Trump are those kind of people.

[@richpaydirt]

One of Alaskas early Governors once proposed a water pipeline to California as a revenue source for his state. At that time it made people laugh. It would have been a great use of melting glaciers and a cash cow for Alaskans.

[@kennyw871]

Apparently you have not considered what that would involve, not to mention the cost. Not long ago, some Arizona residents suggested a water pipeline to the Mississippi River. Just as the Mississippi River is drying up, so are the glacers in Alaska. The fact is populations in the Desert SW have no choice but to migrate to water resources. By the way, Arizona can't desalinate its way out of the water crisis either, especially after the harsh way the US treats Mexico. As in build a wall, but leave room in it for pipelines, right?

[@cricketlovely8541]

First... Stop the foreign owned farms that are foreign crops only. 😡

[@Airwr3ck]

Amen. This land was made for people who actually live and takes care of the land. Let’s do the same for big corporations. Let’s bring back actual mom and pop farmers.

[@basedoz5745]

Thomas Galvin, the guy in this video, was a lobbyist for the Saudi Alfalfa farms in AZ. I’m shocked CBS wouldn’t mention this lol

[@scottmcshannon6821]

none of those houses should have been built there, and that includes most of scottdale.

[@loverdeadly6128]

“That’s their problem” meanwhile they’re building more houses and continuing to supply water to golf courses.

[@basedoz5745]

And they want to blame Scottsdale and portray themselves and helpless poor people(which Rio Verde is not)

[@AintItGreat]

The Great Lakes community would really like to wish you all the best of luck

[@marystewart1746]

The real problem is people saying "that's there problem" rather than "we have a problem - how can we work together to find solutions". We're doomed.

[@jjjjjj192]

their*

[@xarai.]

My jaw dropped when he said that. I bet he has a huge pool at home too.

[@kdoeastvalley]

No Mary, the problem began when the building permits were issued by Maricopa County to construct homes that didn’t have a reliable source of drinking water. And now the residents of those homes are counting on the Government to bail them out. I agree with the Mayor of Scottsdale- solve your own problems!

[@donaldkasper8346]

If you have limited water and your neighbor is growing forever, you cannot help them.

[@dwjoseph59]

It was shocking that he said that

[@marlinweekley51]

I put myself through college hauling water to homes west of St. Louis- there was no municipal water system that served rural areas so home were built with cisterns to contain hauled water. Drilling a private well was costly because of rock in the area. Even today I think many rural homes are either on wells or haul water.

[@donald1576]

Water wars are coming....

[@cdjhyoung]

Are you talking about St Louis, MO, or a location in Arizona?

[@marlinweekley51]

@@cdjhyoung St. Louis Mo - actually specifically Jefferson county west of St. Louis.

[@cdjhyoung]

@@marlinweekley51 For someone that doesn't live there, it is unexpected that living that close to a major water way, towns would need to have water trucked in instead of on some kind of municipal system.

[@marlinweekley51]

@@cdjhyoung around the time I left for college they started putting in “city” water in some of the small towns. But many people lived all over in rural areas and the lines went only as far as the water district borders and even then each person had the cost of hooking up which was more than many could afford . Even today many people in Jeff Co rural areas depend on wells and hauled water. Growth there has been explosive in the past 30 years and now the majority are probably on municipal water as all the new construction was/is mostly plan subdivisions. (Interesting note: it took about an hour to haul a load of 1500 gal, drop it and get back to the loading area. I was paid $2 a load , company charged customer $7.50. I averaged 80 loads a week - a few weeks i hauled a 100 loads, sleeping a few hours in the truck then go again. Crazy stuff - but I was poor and hungry 😆 - stories? Man do I have stories from those years.)

[@TheRedStateBlue]

easy fix for all of this... STOP BUILDING HOMES AND FARMS IN THE DESERT!

[@pker51]

People aren't using the majority of the water! The majority goes to crops like alfalfa to feed cattle. If we eat LESS beef, we can have more water.

[@pluribus_unum]

Cut down on the golf courses and grass lawns, Arizonans.

[@markhumphrey5409]

no mention of saudi alfalfa farms using millions of acre feet for export

[@GrandmaBev64]

I was just talking about that. The documentary series: "H2O" explains this.

[@trishayamada807]

Farming in a desert is ridiculous.

[@dabeage]

It's not like anybody hasn't been screaming about this for the last 30 years..... "I never thought..." well, no excuse.

[@margaritaangelina6109]

These past few days watching my crypto portfolio decline is very disheartening. Holding doesn't really profit much. Any ideas on how to earn better on the short run?

[@anthonyhall9098]

Short term trading is much preferable considering the current market fluctuations

[@thomastamarack8627]

Please how do you guys earn profit from her platform ?!

[@jasonedwardduke1319]

[@carolynmatt7832]

@@thomastamarack8627 Trading with Mrs. Jane lupaen has been the right choice I made so far this 2022 at least I've achieved some of my goals, $286,000 and still investing

[@evandachrismurphy9738]

I have also been trading with her. profits are secured and over 100 percent return on investment.

[@Pagliacci67]

As a Phoenix resident I do partially feel for some of these people who have been there awhile. But there are lots of people who've bought and built in recent years that were warned but didn't listen.

[@nunyabidness3075]

I hear this argument a lot. Unfortunately, the warnings are generally less actual warnings and more the locals talking amongst themselves while ignoring what they are saying. Then, the same locals when they have a problem blame all the newcomers who were sold everything by, guess who, the locals. Usually, the feds are even in on it.

[@hewhohasnoidentity4377]

Then there are people like you that can't comprehend that the people, homes, businesses, buildings in general are not the problem. 70% of the water is being used to grow water intensive crops to send to the middle east. Your issue, and the real issue that the Scottsdale Mayor is saying without directly saying is..... You live where you want and you want to prohibit anyone else from moving to your community. That is what the problem is. People like you are hijacking the water shortage to push lawmakers to restrict development and keep population density from rising. Even though you hear repeatedly that the water is going to agriculture and growing crops that humans can't eat and it's all being shipped to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. You don't want to hear any of that. You are concerned about the people who want to have a home in your city.

[@AlienWebguy]

Absolutely. There's been a "Scottsdale will never cut us off, too many millionaires out here" nonchalant vibe. We moved to the area last year and the sellers knew about all this and withheld the information so now we're in a consumer fraud lawsuit to rescind. None of this information was available online or reported in the news - it was all communicated from Scottsdale to RVF residents through paper notifications delivered to their mailboxes. Another house down the street from us went on the market earlier this year and were also not disclosing the water situation in their MLS listing and disclosure filings. Lots of selfish, evil people out here on all sides of the situation, screwing over everybody else to ensure they come out ahead. It's terrible.

[@nunyabidness3075]

@@AlienWebguy I’ve found most people are more more willing to play dirty to avoid losing than to get ahead. People have a lot of money, which they need to live, invested in their homes. Faced with losing that equity, and the risks that might be to their futures, people start showing weakness. Add to that the fact they likely feel they are being beaten up because others are taking advantage of them using the law or political power, and people get downright nasty. I’ve started feeling this pressure myself because the recent economic upheavals have turned my comfortable retirement into an average one, and if things continue, it could become a borderline one. I’m being voted out of my wealth and I’m not easily able to go back to work at a decent wage. If I had to sell my home today, I could easily be honest about disclosures. A few years from now might be different if the crazy doesn’t subside.

[@josepha.r5839]

I posted above and attached a portion of your post. Spot on.

[@tiffanym4202]

Rainwater and greywater harvesting are potential solutions that don't get discussed enough. For instance, my modest roof has the potential to collect 15000 gal per year. I also estimate close to 80% of my household water use constitutes greywater that just goes down the drain to unknown destinations rather than to my yard where it could go to carefully selected vegetation that would improve the soil's ability to hold water. What holds me back is the high cost of cisterns and existing plumbing that is not greywaterr-friendly. How hard would it be for contractors to offer their clients these options when building or remodeling homes? As an alternative, how about we just cut California off. j/k :)

[@hoppy375]

They spray with chemtrails almost every day here, same with California to the west where the weather events come in from

[@donaldkasper8346]

Economically, comparing Los Angeles to Phoenix would result in the decision to evacuate and depopulate Phoenix.

[@MyDarkSide62]

@@donaldkasper8346 And.....???? So depopulate Phoenix. "Unsustainable growth" is the term used most regarding cities in the desert.

[@donaldkasper8346]

@@MyDarkSide62 ???????????????????????????????????? Yeah, so you provide more water or you depopulate the West. The Communists want depopulation.

[@MyDarkSide62]

@@donaldkasper8346 COMMUNISTS????? End of discussion.

[@kolebronson24]

This issue will serve as a major case in point for future societies who want to understand sustainability.

[@jamesappling1212]

The Water War is beginning, again.😔

[@nunyabidness3075]

Yeah. Again. That fact seems to be lost on most people.

[@kaddogmad8327]

We have to be honest and face the harshest reality there is: farmers have to give it up in these places. They HAVE to.

[@teem9010]

farmers or golf courses. or both?

[@kaddogmad8327]

@@teem9010 both

[@Pagliacci67]

In reality most of the locally owned farms here don't take up the majority of that 70%. They shouldn't be the ones to cut back as most have been here for generations. It's the Saudi owned farms that have unlimited unmeasured use to grow alfalfa that's sent back to Saudi Arabia for their dairy cows that need to be shut down

[@kaddogmad8327]

@Guisseppi Giovanni I could see that. But there is no denying that farms, in general, play a huge part in the water problem we have. A ban on Alfalfa and other high watering crops for all farms could possibly be a good compromise that I think a lot of people could get on board with. BUT, if we want to save our farms, it will require massive amounts of public funding towards agriculture water conservation. Like, GIVING private farms drones, and other water conservation tools. A lot of conservatives will throw a fit.

[@kaddogmad8327]

@not your cat Oh, I totally agree. I'm from Utah and they have NO BUSINESS farming there. And I'm sorry, but I don't care if "we won't be able to get lettuce in the winter." The farmers, don't want their livelihood and generations of farming to be destroyed, and I get it, but their work is doing more bad than good.

[@aaronoutdoors7556]

Rich people building mansions in a desert away from everyone now can’t get water. Sad.

[@seantran5011]

Karma

[@MarioJones]

Use desalinized water piped from the ocean to refill it. People still have water, and we combat sea level rise at the same time. They say it's 'too expensive.' so is war and the weapons we produce for them.

[@salsa564]

Brilliant

[@hardwarefixer6822]

Mr Jones, That was a very god damn predominant point. It is a marvelous Idea

[@undiscloseduser2004]

what a great response/perspective, thanks. Happy Saturday.

[@dianeblanks8146]

Any chance, Mr Jones that you will run for political office?! That sounds like a resolve, however it will not be timely enough for those residents.🧓🏿

[@dirk7816]

The writing has been on the wall for decades. Every home in Southwestern America will be about as valuable as a condo on the beach in Daytona Shores with no beach or sea wall in front of it left. I sold my home and moved abroad for this very reason.. among others two years ago.

[@TacticalToolbox]

This can be solved in 1 easy step. Shut down a lot of Golf Courses. Arizona has over 370 courses. Currently Arizona golf courses use approximately 120,000 acre ft of water per year. Of that amount, approximately 21,000 acre ft. of water comes from the Colorado River. 1 acre ft. = 326,000 gallons. After doing the math of (21,000 x 326,000) = the golf courses in Arizona are taking 6.8 Billion gallons from the Colorado River per year. And that's just Arizona. California has 921 golf courses, Colorado has 300 courses, Nevada has 88 courses, Utah has 140 courses, and New Mexico has 100 courses. Let that sink in. Source: "Kyl Center for Water Policy"

[@sillypeople4873]

Harsh lessons.

[@michaelstaruszkiewicz8798]

When I retired from the Navy in 2005, I foresaw this Crisis in the US Southwest which is why I went back East.

[@ncg5560]

It was obvious to me even in the 1980s in places like Southern California.

[@homeboymma4539]

Luxury Swiming pools, golf courses, fountains, manicured lawns…

[@pl641]

So instead of cutting down on water consumption they are just self imploding??!! Im so confused by that.

[@yvonneplant9434]

Try to imagine Kari Lake trying to manage any of this. Well, she would try to deny it was going on.

[@salsa564]

Indeed….. it’s amazing that anyone would actually vote for that imbecile

[@05HeritageSoftail]

Hobbs would just hide

[@LeeLV702]

Well atleast she would show up unlike the other lady who showed up to work only 19 days out of 6 months definitely shows her horrible work ethic exactly why nothing will change and only get worst with her in charge

[@stephen1Oace]

Lake The FAKE/FLAKE was going to spend billions and billions, ending up to be Trillions, for water to flow from the Mississippi to Arizona. Riiiiiight.

[@stephen1Oace]

@@05HeritageSoftail Hobbs won. Get over it. Common sense prevailed.

[@tytrout629]

3:15 the entirety of Arizona sits in the Colorado River Basin, while only a sliver of California does. Yet California is entitled to vastly more water. The water should stay in the Basin.

[@janebeatty9472]

California supplies far more food. Are you up for sky high prices or nonavailability of food?

[@rackss1661]

@@janebeatty9472 bet they won’t like it when the river gets to tier 3. We have a vast nation grow those damn crops somewhere else that actually has water like Georgia or Washington. Tomatoes grapes and almonds even grow in Texas and Arkansas just not in scale of California but why does Cali still grow most of the country’s food when they are dealing with water fluctuations like this.

[@msha9584]

Good reporting.

[@diannadima7082]

This is so wrong. Why does AZ feel we need more mansions when there is not water. Why should everyone else have to pay the price. We don't need to be any bigger. Stressing our energy supply and everything else. Enough!!!

[@jaytrump2537]

Amazing REPORT THANK YOU

[@DrQandtheGang]

It always astonishes me when experts say, we dont know why the community abandon the town. Evaporating water supply is invisible.

[@scottc7088]

200 years ago it was a desert. 100 years ago it was a desert. Does anyone else see a pattern here?

[@hotvegas2498]

I love living in the desert. 🏜

[@ibdam1]

It’s sad, as I sit in Tempe AZ today, I still see communities promoting their rapid expansion. Buildings popping up EVERYWHERE. The farmer’s concerns are understandable but do we really need to eat strawberries in December, mixed salads in January. Mother Nature is only talking back what’s hers, the DESERT. We humans are spoiled as Sh&t. Grass on desert front yards, year round golf and 24/7 AC March-October. I’m placing my bet on Mother Nature. I’ll be collecting my winnings from my new Midwest home.

[@nobodyspecial4702]

It's called healthy eating and yes, it's kind of important. Sure, we could all live off of bacon during the winter, but that means raising more pigs and that takes more crops to feed them.

[@ibdam1]

@@nobodyspecial4702 I agree it’s healthy eating but there are many other healthy eating options available that aren’t grown out of their NATURAL growing season. It’s about expanding our knowledge on what healthy eating is. I don’t know your age but just a short few years ago people ate seasonal foods and guess what, they were healthy and we lived. Extending a plant’s natural growing season doesn’t constitute a healthy product.

[@nobodyspecial4702]

@@ibdam1 Out of season in North America means in season in South America. The "farmer" they interviewed clearly had no clue that during the winter all manner of produce is imported from South America because the seasons are reversed when you cross the equator. It's called being part of a global economy. It doesn't just mean your socks are imported, your food is too.

[@jaridkeen123]

"Humanity has a choice, it is either a collective solidary pact, or a collective suicide pact." - Antonio Guterres (UN Security Council)

[@dannydevito5729]

These people who decided to live in the desert are so surprised they don't have water in the desert

[@meahdahlgren6537]

It's a state and desert

[@basedoz5745]

This is what happens when you move to part of the desert that doesn’t have water infrastructure.

[@meahdahlgren6537]

@@basedoz5745 you right

[@jondoh4666]

Somebody said years ago, "Water will be worth it's weight in Gold".

[@1sttigertiger426]

California is surrounded by water, albeit salt water. Desalinization plants? The other Colorado Basin states don't have this option. Reducing use, and reducing dependancy on Colorado water are needed.

[@davediamond7228]

"surrounded" ??? not according to my map ! California does have few plants and a new one was just approved in Monterey

[@1sttigertiger426]

@@davediamond7228 You are correct! Surrounded by ocean water on one side - 840 miles is extensive!

[@codymoe4986]

California is an island?

[@Nick_Nola]

This is why we shouldn’t have millions of people living in a FREAKING DESERT!

[@shelbyhunkler9259]

After living in the Phoenix AZ area since the 1980's my husband and I packed up and moved back to our native state of Indiana a couple of years ago. Even then the writing on the wall was clear as day. No water. We wanted to sell and get the heck out of there before our 4 acre property was worthless due to lack of water. Now we live in the land of rain, lakes, rivers and streams and groundwater that is readily available from our private well. I fear for what the west will become in the next few decades unless they take a hard lesson from Israel and learn to become masters of extreme water conservation. And with the current mindset in AZ I don't see that happening...

[@lakeguy65616]

The other explanation is the west was settled during a "wet" period of above-average rain & snowfall. And now we may have entered into a period of average (or below) rain & snowfall, coupled with a population explosion. It's not climate change, it's regression to the mean. The only solution is to consume far less water.

[@thetranya3589]

@simon kenton It’s not a “story”, it’s reality.

[@thetranya3589]

@simon kenton I disagree. I don’t think it’s wise to trust “random dude” on KZbin and Rush Limbaugh died in 2021, so it wouldn’t be wise to trust him, it’s very likely that he would be an imposter, given the circumstances. However, if that’s what you want to base your decisions on, then you have the freedom of thought to do so. At least until the radicals decide to make thought crime illegal…

[@prismgems]

Don't believe this. Look up Anasazi.

[@keithcolegrove2924]

So why do they continue to build thousands of new homes all over Arizona every year???

[@ryanmay3022]

Over farming. Corporations are profit based. Grow enough to sell domestically. Disallow over seas sells. Sells will shrink but water conservation will grow. Why should we run out of water to feed other nations?

[@turkeysandwiche8552]

Where is all this water going in a closed system this doesn’t make sense😊

[@guyarrol582]

Lol

[@angeladansie4378]

The water isn't falling as rain into the river that feeds these communities. Not sure what "closed system" you're talking about?

[@sallyintucson]

In Pima County (Tucson and surrounding towns) there’s a law that a development has to prove that there’s 100 years of water - except the developers only need to tell ONE household in that development. I thought it was a state law. Apparently I was wrong. Tucsonans are much better with their water usage. Lawns are few and far between. We prefer decorative gravel. After all, we live in a desert.

[@privacylock855]

That Sate Law is for Developments of more than 5 homes. Five or fewer homes can be built without water. that is what happened in Rio Verde Foothills. And since 1992 they can use ground water, but ground water is (essentially) nonrenewable.

[@undiscloseduser2004]

Stating "that's their problem" and pushing it off is not a statement which should be made as far as being a leader. Discussion and solution(s) are the way to go should have been his answer. Side note, I think the Mayor had his veneers or crowns a shade or three too white.

[@timallison8560]

THERE IS NO SOLUTION! THERE IS NOT ENOUGH WATER FOR ALL THE STATES IN THE SOUTHWEST.

[@Joebius1]

I've read about this place elsewhere and that talked about how the city started warning them in 2012 and they did nothing about it until now.

[@undiscloseduser2004]

@@Joebius1I hear you however, I will state (based on my current knowledge of the situation), we are all fish in the same water (literally in this scenario) thus, we MUST work together to resolve this and to ensure all of our fellow humans will be able to manage and mirror intake/out-take, thank you.

[@tahoeclay]

Why is that narcissist wildebeest wearing a pink prom dress to discuss water?

[@greglautz8470]

As a born and raised arizona, it seems virtually everybody who has a dollar to gain and makes policies in this state, are not even from this state. They don't have an appreciation or respect for the desert climate that is only worsening with climate change. Build build build, who cares if there's water or not, seems to be the Mantra these days.

[@pinkelephants1421]

Four things: How on earth are sprinkler systems and their usage still legal - vast amounts of water are lost to evaporation straight into the air & much of the rest evaporates from leaves, never having reached the roots where it's needed? Secondly, appliances such as (domestic) dishwashers, toilets that aren't dual flush - low flushing, taps & shower heads that aren't low flow varieties shouldn't either legally available for either supply & or installation in these drought stricken regions. TBC: low flow DOES NOT mean low pressure. They give the same effect as traditional fixtures but use considerably less water and of course, users have lower water bills. The whole world needs to be far cleverer about how we manage water supplies & usage within our homes, businesses etc. For example: building codes can stipulate that water from baths, showers, sinks, dishwashers, washing machines be collected & filtered for reuse in the flushing of toilets - you DON'T need drinking water to flush a toilet as happens in most of the world, grey water is just fine for this purpose. It REALLY doesn't make sense to expend massive amounts of resources to collect, transport, treat & transport drinking water to the end users only to flush it straight down the loo. That's bonkers & massively inefficient not to mention highly polluting. Water's HEAVY! Massive diesel pumps are used in it's transportation, emitting greenhouse gases along the entire fuel supply chain from well to end users. Currently employed farming practices don't fit nor have they EVER fitted with the region in which they're deployed. If you want to successfully farm in water challenged areas, it is CRUCIAL to do so with a sustainable permaculture design and management approach. Otherwise you won't have a farming business for very long - as farmers are finding out much to their cost. I come from a farming background & I know full well that you ALWAYS have to farm in a way that nature dictates or else. Anything else is pure arrogance.

[@humangeneric-777]

The people of Scottsdale want their green grass and golf courses, and they don't give a flying flip if people downstream die of thirst so that they can maintain the lush, green lawns in the middle of the freaking desert.

[@basedoz5745]

I dare you to actually look at how this are actually uses their water before you make Scottsdale out to be the villain if their story lol. All you got to do is look at an aerial view.

[@diankreczmer6595]

If you are not guaranteed water, by the utility department and live in arizona, do not buy property. Do not believe real estate brokers and developers

[@davidhunternyc1]

A recent investigation from Arizona Central has revealed that Fondomonte, a subsidiary of Riyadh-based Almarai in Saudi Arabia, has the bargain of a lifetime: for only $25 per acre annually, it can pump unlimited amounts of water at no cost whatsoever. Fondomonte is using water to grow alfalfa sprouts, which are then exported to Saudi Arabia to feed their prized horses. Nearby farmers pay six times more than the Saudi company. Fondomonte is depleting the groundwater of the Butler Valley, a valuable transfer basin that is seen as a potential water supply for Phoenix. The Saudi company owns thousands of acres across Arizona and has expanded operations in Eastern California. According to one estimate, the company could be pumping as much as 18,000 acre-feet per year, enough to supply 54,000 single-family homes, raising concerns that the groundwater will disappear faster than it can be replenished. Alfalfa is one of the most water-intensive crops there is, and the current breakneck pace of production is threatening to stop the flow of the Colorado River entirely. The question is, how much money was given to Arizona's Governor, Doug Ducey, by the Saudi's? Additionally, the lease has been active from 2015 onward. We elect leaders to serve our interests. Why did our state and federal government, from Obama, Trump, and Biden allow the country responsible for 9/11 to rob the American people? In this video, CBS interviews Thomas Galvin. He's a lobbyist for Saudi Alfalfa and he was elected to the Maricopa County Board Supervisors. Not once does CBS question Galvin's allegiances. Our politicians pledge to work for us but it's not happening. Another example, we passed the CHIPS Act. $280 billion of our tax dollars are being used to subsidize tech companies with the promise that they will bring manufacturing jobs back to America. At the last minute, the requirement to manufacture chips in the U.S. was stripped out of the bill but that's not what we are being told by our government and the media. We are simply being gaslit. Also, since 2020, a staggering $1.4 billion went into the Georgia Senate races. Where does this money come from and what will our politicians do for these donations in return? Our government is selling the American people down the river to enrich themselves and their own interests. In the case of Arizona, politicians are allowing foreign interests to steal their water. How loud do the alarm bells have to be for us to stand up and say, "No more!"

[@MyDarkSide62]

Well said

[@cannabisoutlawz]

I agree!! DONT CALIFORNIA MY ARIZONA!

[@mja1551]

Not defending Fondomonte but they grow hay here because they can not grow hay in Saudi Arabia and the hay is used for the dairy’s they own not the “prized horses”. It’s also not the only farm they have there is also another farm on the California state line just north of the I-10 in Blythe CA. You need to be upset with Arizona politics they knew about the wells out in the desert and approved the sell for the land.

[@mja1551]

They bought the land so they have rights to the wells again if anybody should be investigated about this issue it should be Arizona politicians they sold the land knowing the stakes that could come.

[@davidhunternyc1]

@@mja1551 Absolutely, if I were Saudi, and all I had to do is pay off a few politicians to help my cause at home, I would. I blame our Americans politicians. I blame Congress and Arizona for allowing this to happen. While Arizonians are zoned with water restrictions, the Saudi's grow alfalfa sprouts and hay for their livestock back home. Americans are shat on by their own government. It's our fault and it's sickening. Then the Saudi's turn around and restrict oil production for the U.S. Who's the fool? The media, both Fox News and CNN. are mouthpieces for Washington. They promote a culture war between Republicans vs. Democrats, between the left and the right. They do this by design. Our government is selling out their own citizens for their own greedy profits. It's not MAGA vs. the socialists. The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers have it wrong. It's us, all of us working and middle class Americans vs. the elites. We need to wake up. We need another American Revolution.

[@Crystifodere]

The entire Phoenix Valley needs to have its water source cut and believe me it will be because the environment is going to make it happen live and learn people

[@sharonroller8849]

Swimming pools, green lawns, golf courses, maybe cut a lot of this down, it is a desert 🏜️

[@timallison8560]

nice to see at least ONE person that gets the truth that most just will not speak of. they want to hide their heads in the desert sand until they run out instead of selling now while they can.

[@gregorywolf1218]

Southern California first.

[@privacylock855]

This is the best TV reporting I have seen on the RPV water issue. The New York Times article is the best thing in print.

[@susananderson9619]

Building communities in the desert is bound to have water problems . Just like peeps living near rivers ,ocean front etc, are bound to get flooded .

[@donald1576]

Republican party standards in action....no support. The shortsighted greed of the gop is going to give the state back to the desert. That with global warming Arizona is all over but the crying

[@Liam1694u]

Scottsdale: "stop stealing the water that we stole from a river over 150 mi away from us. We stole it fair and square first."

[@jamesmorrison8987]

Oh you’re telling me a city in the middle of the desert doesn’t have enough water for all the people?? Weird. Don’t move somewhere like that and be confused by the outcome.

[@williamsavelle9515]

Please tell the truth. These people have been avoiding taxes for years.

[@Mr_Fairdale]

Innovation is the only way out. A single monsoon storm holds enough for probably everyone and every farm in the whole state. They need find a way to store water and also a way to retro fit farms to use different techniques to conserve water. Like drip irrigation as opposed to flood irrigation. Saying things like “the desert isn’t meant to be lived in” is stupid. Humanity literally started in a desert. Humans don’t need permission from the elements. We dictate how we live. We must be smarter.

[@hotvegas2498]

Well said.

[@Mr_Fairdale]

@@hotvegas2498 thanks 🙏 You’re a Vegas local?

[@codymoe4986]

What was the population of those early, desert settlements as compared with modern day Phoenix, Las Vegas, Las Angeles? P.S. Where do you plan on storing an entire year's worth of monsoon rains, exactly?

[@Mr_Fairdale]

@@codymoe4986 what does early civilization population have to do with anything? Is the argument you’re trying to make that since there were smaller numbers of people that we can’t have more people now? Like there’s some limit on human capacity? If so, you’re wrong. You’re thinking of people solely as consumers, not producers. We’ve never been more efficient at growing food than we are now. An acre of farmland is for more productive than it was just a few decades ago and it will only improve with technology like AI and further satellite developments. Same with water. Vegas has multiplied its population but has conserved more water over time. How? Innovation! Also they’re called reservoirs. You might be shocked to learn that they’re all over place, even in California. In Northern California they have quite a few major reservoirs that can easily hold enough water. Their issue is they didn’t build enough reservoirs in Southern California and didn’t build adequate infrastructure to be able to send water from NorCal when it rains, down to SoCal. Instead, the water is released and flows out to the ocean. California is more affected by poor leadership and terrible governance than it is climate change. Arizona has reservoirs and other detention basins. Lake Pleasant right outside of Phoenix is huge and can store tons of water. They also have natural rivers and aquifers. It’s not a hopeless situation. Far from it. Edit: I also one single storm can hold a year’s worth of water. Not that we can store a year’s worth of monsoon rains. Read better thanks

[@AllenManor]

I grew up in the West and it feels like home, but it's making less and less sense to live out here. People who know a lot more about the long-term economy than I do are predicting that towns like Milwaukee, Cleveland, Buffalo and Detroit are going to experience a population explosion soon as a result of people fleeing water scarcity. It's hard to imagine but it makes sense. I know I am going to move to where the water is in a few years.

[@hoppy375]

Youd be surprised how dirty lake Michigan is

[@AllenManor]

@@hoppy375 I know it's not clean but it's water and we don't have much at all out in the West.

[@chasetonga]

I live in Milwaukee. I would never not live along Lake Michigan.

[@chasetonga]

@@hoppy375 The water is filtered and treated. It tastes fine.

[@dysfunctionalhero]

Do the people getting their water cut off in the foothills use rain catchment?

[@debshipman4697]

Meanwhile Snotsdale wastes tons of water with their golf courses and supporting grass every where.

[@len452000]

So they knew for YEARS that their water supply would be cut off and they did nothing.

[@kurrie3280]

Not nothing, they kept building homes there. One has to wonder what kind of thinking takes place in their brains.

[@GeorgeChildress]

Wrong, "they" did not know, it's a buyer beware situation which should be criminal.

[@stephen1Oace]

Water. I remember in the 60's bottled water was an up and coming new adventure. Most of us laughed it off. I live in Los Angeles, Arizona, second homebase, both states are desert. Flowing water into the desert brought crops, people, industry. Now it's global warming and nothing has been done about it knowing full well water was an issue. Best start seeding the air to make rain. Bush was doing it during his administration. We have technologies to solve all our problems, enough technologies where there is no hunger. What is it going to take for humanity to change its ways *???* Profit over basic humanity rules.

[@uhadme]

The 'mayor' said it perfectly, manage your own future and destiny, you have no need for them to do it. Right?

[@annoyedok321]

Plastic lawns is such a suburb solution to water usage. I can't imagine people thinking these are a improvement instead of a lateral move.

[@nunyabidness3075]

There’s an obvious solution which no one will agree to. You charge market prices for water. The building of pools will shrink to a trickle immediately.

[@gracevicki3983]

You sure do get what you voted for did you hear that dude tell you you were on your own that's your problem this is an elected official a leader in the community wow! You should have voted for people that were going to bring solutions not the green New deal!

[@tc3693]

That mayor is a raging Republican, so your point is moot.

[@down-to-earth-mystery-school]

The New Green Deal would have outlawed unnecessary lawns and golf courses, created more sustainable farming practices - which would have solved this issue

[@appalachiabrauchfrau]

@@down-to-earth-mystery-school it blows me away how ignorant of the green new deal people are

[@tvdinner325]

TOO MANY PEOPLE!