Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the fastest-growing, if not the fastest-growing, city in the United States. Companies from around the world have already built facilities in or near the city or are planning to do so soon.

However, a recent report has given some companies pause about relocating to the city. While Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has negated the report, it concludes that the city is seriously running out of groundwater.

As to the report, it was released on June 1, 2023, by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. The Washington Post called it a “chilling warning” for the city and the more than five million people living there.

The Post concluded that the peripheral areas around the city do not have enough groundwater to sustain future growth. The result: developments that were approved are on hold, as well as at least three where construction has already begun.

The report did send chills down the spine of many city and state officials. Arizona is very dependent on housing developments and new companies moving into the area. But they need ample supplies of groundwater for this economic engine to continue.

Interestingly, before this Arizona report was released, there was only moderate interest in groundwater around the U.S., according to Google Trends, which indexes how often a term is queried.

But two days after the release of the report, the number of queries jumped four-fold. According to Google Trends, that peak occurred on June 6, 2023, at 4:20 in the morning and has remained high since.

Because of this four-fold jump, we must assume that many people in the country need to learn precisely what groundwater is. Let’s take a few minutes to help you understand this term, as it is likely we will hear discussion about it a lot more in the years to come.

What Ground Water Is and Why It Is So Important

Groundwater is water located beneath the earth’s surface. While some may be shallow — closer to the earth’s surface — usually it is found deep into the soil and rock formations.

Groundwater remains under the surface of the earth until it is tapped. From here, it is pumped out of the soil, treated, and used for drinking water, irrigation, industrial, and home consumption.

But how did groundwater get there in the first place?

Through rainfall in most cases. For thousands of years, water drained downward into the earth, pulled by gravity. The water is constantly moving, with some moving horizontally into springs and wells and the rest moving vertically, further down into the earth.

Groundwater and Its Impact Today

Farmers and water utility companies have been tapping into this groundwater for almost two hundred years. Everything was going fine until the past 15 to 20 years. That’s when climate change first made itself known.

Areas with ample rain or at least enough rainfall to meet their needs eventually received less precipitation. Because of this, farmers and utility companies had to dig deeper to find more groundwater, soon depleting supplies.

This is becoming a concern around the country, especially in the Southwest. While the Phoenix mayor says there is enough underground water to serve their needs for the next 100 years, others suggest she is too optimistic — even hopeful.

What we can expect from the state of Arizona, as well as New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, and Utah, which are in the same precarious situation, is that they will find ways to use water more efficiently.

For instance, compared to farmers of the 1970s, today’s farmers use as much as 90 percent less water.

Facilities such as office buildings and schools are also taking steps to use less water, which is one reason we see so many no-water urinals installed in commercial facilities. Dollar-for-dollar, it’s the least expensive way to save millions of gallons of water annually.

Waterless Co., Inc is a pioneer in water efficiency. We are the go-to company when it comes to reducing water consumption, understanding the many benefits of no-water urinals, and finding ways to use water more efficiently.  For more information, contact a Waterless Co Specialist.