--- title: "Arizona City Cuts Off Water Supply for Entire Suburb" description: "What Unchecked development and rising global temperatures are coming to a head in Southern Arizona, where an entire neighborhood has reportedly been cut off from the city of Scottsdale's water supply — a direct result of the American Southwest's years-long drought, and the related crisis of the drying, overused Colorado River. With their taps cut […]" date: "2023-01-17" modified: "2023-01-17" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/arizona-city-water-supply-suburb" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "climate change" - "droughts" - "the digest" - "water supply" --- # Arizona City Cuts Off Water Supply for Entire Suburb ![Unchecked development and climate change are coming to a head in Arizona, where an entire neighborhood has been cut off from Scottsdale's water supply.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Tap Dance Unchecked development and unmitigated climate change are coming to a head in Southern Arizona, where an entire neighborhood has reportedly been cut off from the city of Scottsdale's water supply — a direct result of the American Southwest's years-long drought, and the [related crisis]() of the [drying, overused Colorado River](). With their taps cut off, residents of the affected neighborhood, the Palo Verde Foothills, have seen water bills rise from roughly $220 to almost $700 a month, in some cases even topping $1,000, to account for scarcity and the longer distances that water delivery trucks are now being forced to drive, [according to *The New York Times*](). To conserve water, the roughly 1,000 or so people who live in the neighborhood are turning to limited showers and toilet flushes, using paper plates to avoid doing dishes, driving long distances to do laundry, and more. "We're really hoping we don't go dry by summer," Joe McCue, a Palo Verde Foothills inhabitant who's installing a rainwater collection system, told the *NYT*. "Then we'll be in a really bad spot." ## Not My Fault While the situation in the Palo Verde Foothills, which has rendered residents without necessities like reliable fire protection, is certainly dire, it's more complicated than meets the eye. Much of the area's development is actually fairly new — and arguably shouldn't exist. Developers, per the *NYT*, have spent the last few years taking advantage of cheap land prices, exploiting glaring loopholes in Arizona groundwater laws that require them to show proof that new builds have access to a 100-year water supply. And while the neighborhood was using Scottsdale's water, the Palo Verde Foothills have never *technically* been considered part of the city. Both communities are within Maricopa County boundaries, and Maricopa County is directly responsible for those who live in the now-waterless neighborhood. "Scottsdale has warned and advised that it is not responsible for Rio Verde for many years," [reads a statement]() on Scottsdale's government site, "especially given the requirements of the City’s mandated drought plan." But regardless of who's at fault, the fact remains: an entire desert community has had their taps cut off. Jury's still out on how many other Southwestern towns might follow. "We can't just protect every single person who buys a parcel and builds a home," Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, told the *NYT*. "There isn't enough money or water." **READ MORE:** *[Skipped Showers, Paper Plates: An Arizona Suburb's Water Is Cut Off]()* \[*The New York Times*\] **More on the climate crisis:** [*Exxon Scientists Knew About Global Warming for Decades While Company Denied It*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()