PHOENIX — Not all Arizona cities face the same risk from Colorado River water reductions — and the numbers reveal a stark divide across the Valley.
Arizona draws its water from four main sources. Groundwater is the largest share at 41%, followed by the Colorado River at 36%. In-state systems like the Salt River contribute 18%, and reclaimed water makes up the remaining 5%.
Most of that supply never reaches a residential tap. Agriculture consumes 72% of Arizona's water. Cities and towns use 22%, and industry accounts for just 6%.
The Central Arizona Project canal stretches 336 miles from Parker to Tucson, supplying 19 cities and towns. For some of those communities, a cut to Colorado River allocations would be devastating.
Anthem relies on Colorado River water for 100% of its supply. Apache Junction is close behind, and Cave Creek sits at 90%. Scottsdale draws 70% of its water from the Colorado River — but uses more total water than Anthem, Apache Junction, and Cave Creek combined, multiplied by four.
The cities least reliant on Colorado River water include Tucson, Tolleson, Paradise Valley, and Avondale.
Among Arizona's 3 largest cities, Mesa has the most exposure — 57% of its water comes from the Colorado River, with 37% from the Salt-Verde system. Phoenix is nearly the mirror image of Mesa. Tucson relies almost entirely on groundwater at 99%.
Tempe is among 206 water systems statewide that receive zero water from the Colorado River. Most of those systems run on wells. Tempe runs on the Salt River, which accounts for 85% of its supply.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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