Op-Ed: Scottsdale has benefited from decades of responsible water planning

By Raoul Zubia

Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas is right about one thing: Scottsdale has benefited from decades of responsible water planning. But that success should not become an excuse for complacency.

Dubauskas cites Scottsdale’s legal entitlement to 141,000 acre-feet of water annually. What she overlooks is the difference between water rights and water availability. The Colorado River is over-allocated, and legal entitlements cannot guarantee deliveries when supplies decline.

Nor have I argued that Advanced Water Purification is our only solution. Conservation, groundwater management, water banking, and diversified supplies all have important roles. AWP deserves serious consideration as part of that broader strategy, with transparent accounting of its costs and benefits.

Our stored reserves are valuable precisely because they protect us during shortages. They are not a permanent substitute for renewable supplies.

Scottsdale has long been a leader in water management. Protecting that legacy requires acknowledging future risks, examining the evidence, and making responsible investments before a crisis forces our hand.