This photo illustrates why runaway housing development, a liberal water policy for developers and a lack of transparency are threatening the water supply in Prescott. Willow Lake is drying up as a result of the drought and evaporation, which shows no signs of ending as temperatures continue to climb.
Prescott Mayor Greg Mengarelli claims there’s plenty of water in Prescott—and that the City is using less than it did 20 years ago. This is his justification for supporting the expansion of water access to developments outside of the Prescott City limits.
Depending on how you measure that, it may be technically correct because of new construction requirements and higher water use charges, but the amount of water available is far less than existed then.
The Southwest has been in a megadrought for the past 20 years. Water pumping has reduced the aquifer below safe yield and the two largest reservoirs in the nation, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at historic low levels.
The Citizens Water Advisory Group (CWAGAZ.org), which was founded in 2002 to study the issue, has compiled all of the reasons runaway growth threatens our community and the future of Prescott. The City’s water is drawn from the Little Chino aquifer and is piped in from Chino Valley. Some residents in Chino Valley have wells that have dried up.
Recharge of water back into the system is lower, too, possibly due to leaking sewer and water lines—infrastructure issues that should be addressed by a responsible City Council.
We say that Mengarelli and the City Council members who are failing us with their lack of action on this issue should be replaced by City Council members who understand the problem and want to find solutions to address it. We support Phil Goode, Brandon Montoya, and Eric Moore, candidates who take the issue of water policy seriously.