By Joanna Allhands | Arizona Republic
When Gov. Doug Ducey announced his plan to set aside $1 billion for statewide water augmentation and conservation projects, some of us wondered how – or whether – Arizona would ever spend the money.
Mostly, because there are few shovel-ready projects in the queue. Though we’ve been talking for years about ideas like desalination and water recycling, additional stormwater recharge and irrigation efficiency, that’s mostly what it’s been: Talk.
It’s unclear how much additional water Arizona needs to shore up our supplies. It’s even murkier when we’ll need it, whether existing residents or future growth would primarily benefit from it – and, most importantly, who is supposed to pay for it.
