This week, as candidates and voters prepare for next week’s primary
election, the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) is
urging candidates to publicly state their support for legislation to
conserve and use our water supply efficiently. With increased media
attention and citizen concern for water issues, Arizona PIRG is making
the Our Water, Our Future campaign the starting block for its efforts to strengthen Arizona’s water laws next session.
According to the Bureau of Reclamation, Arizona could be in a state of
water crisis by 2025. Eric Magnuson, Environmental Program Associate
for Arizona PIRG stated, “We can avoid the devastating affects of an
inadequate water supply if we act now. We urge candidates for the state
legislature to publicly state support of efforts to require a local,
clean water supply for all Arizonans both now and for the future and we
urge voters to know where candidates stand on this important issue.”
Magnuson 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 evidence of
the problem and 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 support
ensuring all Arizonans have a 100-year local, clean water supply.
Magnuson 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.
Over the last several months, Arizona PIRG has conducted door-to-door
and community level efforts in locations including Phoenix, Prescott,
Tucson, Flagstaff and municipalities in between to educate and involve
citizens and to demonstrate to candidates interest in protecting
Arizona’s water supply.
