Arizona Halts New Housing Construction Reliant on Groundwater Around Phoenix Due to Severe Shortages and Drought

Phoenix metro area is officially out of groundwater and by 2121, the area will be short of nearly 5 million acre feet of water
New developments in the region will have to rely on other sources of water like surface or recycled water
The move will not affect existing homeowners who already have assured water supplies, and 80,000 unbuilt homes with assured water supply certificates can move forward
The drought has made groundwater even more vital, and state officials are taking more steps to protect the state's groundwater supplies
The long term impacts of the new policy could be wide reaching, putting the brakes on any new subdivision proposals in suburban and unincorporated areas