Our Water, Our Future News

This week, as candidates for the Arizona legislature begin to announce their candidacy, the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) has launched a door-to-door campaign to build support for its Our Water, Our Future campaign.

“With Arizona’s strained water supply arguably one of the top issues for the next legislature to address, we are calling on candidates to publicly state they will support efforts to require a local, clean water supply for all Arizonans,” stated Keith Feikema, Citizen Outreach Director for Arizona PIRG. Feikema cited the state’s rapidly increasing population and the ability of developers to build huge subdivisions even if the state declares the water supply of the region to be inadequate as key reasons candidates should signify support.

The group is encouraging candidates to take the Our Water, Our Future pledge which states that water should be conserved, used efficiently, and restored wherever it is taken out of our water supply. More specifically the pledge asks candidates, if elected, if they would support ensuring all Arizonans have a 100-year local, clean water supply.

Feikema said that even municipalities in Arizona that have conserved water, such as Phoenix and Tucson, could lose financial and water resources to bail out developments with inadequate water supplies.

Through door-to-door efforts in locations including Flagstaff, Prescott, Tucson, Phoenix and municipalities in between, representatives of Arizona PIRG will educate and involve citizens to demonstrate to candidates their interest in protecting Arizona’s water supply.

More information on the Our Water, Our Future campaign can be found at www.arizonapirg.org