Arizona gets 36% of its potable water from the Colorado River. That could be cut by as much as 77%.

Arizona gets 36% of its potable water from the Colorado River. That supply could be cut by as much as 77%.

That's not a worst-case scenario—it's one of the operating plans currently under federal review. For one of the fastest-growing states in the country, the urgency is real.

Arizona is responding: a new Advanced Water Purification permitting framework, a US$179 million investment secured for a new Advanced Water Purification facility in Phoenix, and groundwater governance rules that require developers to prove a 100-year water supply before breaking ground.

The funding picture is more complicated. The state's Long-Term Water Augmentation Fund launched with US$1 billion in 2022 and has since been cut to US$376 million. Conservation grant demand already exceeds available resources by over US$100 million.

Our latest State Profile breaks down the full funding landscape, regulatory framework, and procurement dynamics shaping Arizona's water sector.