Are Rio Verde's water issues unique or a sign of things to come for 'wildcat' subdivisions?

By Mark Brodie
Published: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 - 11:49am
Updated: Friday, March 10, 2023 - 7:44am

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water tank at a Rio Verde Foothills home
Phil Latzman/KJZZ
A water tank at a Rio Verde Foothills home

Residents of Rio Verde Foothills are still looking for a temporary solution to their water problems after the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors last week rejected a plan that had been approved by the Scottsdale City Council in February. A permanent solution still needs to be addressed.

The attention on Rio Verde has led to a lot of discussion about whether the community is a kind of canary in the coal mine — a glimpse of what the future might look like as the drought continues and water supplies dwindle.

Rhett Larson is a professor of water law at ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. The Show asked whether he thinks this situation is a one-off or something that will continue to happen in Arizona.

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