Desalination, the removal of salts from water, harvests fresh water from salty water. It is not the “silver bullet” that will supply the world, or Arizona, with fresh water, but rather a potentially important component of the water portfolio. “At its simplest, the technology might substantially reduce water scarcity by making the almost inexhaustible stock of seawater and the large quantities of brackish groundwater that appear to be available into new sources of fresh water supply,” as the National Research Council stated in Desalination: A National Perspective. However, disposal of waste salts,energy requirements, environmental impacts, infrastructure costs and regulatory uncertainty remain challenges to water managers.

In 2010, Pima Association of Governments co-convened the Regional Water Assessment Task Force to assist the region in shaping its efforts to achieve a sustainable water future. A series of four computer network-based ThinkTank sessions were held to gain input and guidance on priority regional water issues as well as management options from stakeholders throughout the Tucson Active Management Area. The sixty four participants included elected officials, municipal managers, public and private utility managers, water attorneys, representatives from Central Arizona Project, state and federal agencies, Indian nations, University of Arizona, and people that represented economic, environmental, agricultural, and mining interests. In response to the following questions, participants generated nearly 900 responses, each of which they ranked as high, medium or low importance or priority.

1. What regional water issues need to be addressed?
2. What could our water use priorities be at a regional level?
3. How can water resources be managed at a regional level?
4. How can water use be managed at a regional level?
5. How can water infrastructure for the region be funded?

The report includes tables showing the responses and analysis results. The Task Force focused on those ideas that gained the highest level of consensus to identify several ThinkTank themes, which are described in the report. In addition, several regional priorities emerged out of the ideas and the Task Force went one step further to conceptualizes how Regional Solution/Strategy Groups might be used to help the region follow up on the ideas generated through the sessions.

Appendices
Click here to go to the report web page

This report was funded entirely by the University of Arizona and was produced by the Water Resources Research Center as a service to the community. Its intent is to provide useful, accurate information for Tucson citizens to use in making water decisions. The authors believe both scientific information and community values have important roles to play in deciding water issues

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Table of Contents

Preface

Forward

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Figures and Tables

List of Figures

TOC

Afterword

Index

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

As part of its commitment to serve the water education needs of Arizona citizens, the Water Resources Research Center teamed up with the Water Education Foundation to produce the Layperson’s Guide to Arizona Water. The publication meets a longstanding need: it offers in a single, reader-friendly source information Arizona citizens need to be well informed about state water issues. Few would doubt the need for a layperson’s guide or primer describing the ins and outs of Arizona water. Arizona is a rapidly growing state attracting people from many different areas who need to be educated about water in a desert and semi-arid environments. The guide is aimed at a wide audience, from water professionals needing a quick reference, to policy makers wanting a reliable summary of the facts, to the water-interested citizen.  Available by download only.

Download pdf here (2.19 mb). 

AWR Newsletter write-up  (January-February 2008 issue)