PFAS are known for their unique properties that make them valuable in a variety of products. For example, PFAS repel water, oil and stains, making them ideal for coatings on nonstick cookware, rain gear and carpets. Their ability to withstand high temperatures is useful in fire-resistant materials, fire fighting foams at airports and electrical insulation. Although several types of PFAS have been phased out, many are still widely used. 

PFAS contamination can come from a variety of sources, including manufacturing facilities that use PFAS in their products, municipal wastewater treatment plants, landfills and waste sites where improper disposal can lead to contamination of surrounding soil and water and sewage sludge treated with PFAS-containing materials.

The widespread use and persistence of PFAS have led to their presence in drinking water supplies across the country. PFAS can build up in the bodies of animals and humans, known as bioaccumulation, when ingested through contaminated water or food.

Arizona’s population has grown steadily over the years, however through significant investments in water conservation and infrastructure and the reuse of water, our water use is essentially the same as it was more than half a century ago.

To take a closer look at this pattern, replacing agricultural lands with municipal development almost always results in a net decrease in water use. It takes approximately 6 acre-feet per acre to grow cotton or alfalfa in our desert climate, and only around 1 acre-foot per acre to serve a subdivision, though these numbers can vary depending on climate, the crop grown, and the density of the urban development. In addition, almost all of the water that enters urban wastewater treatment systems can be reclaimed and reused.

Future sources of water include: desalinated, brackish groundwater; desalinated ocean water (noting that currently desalination of ocean water may be part of Arizona’s water supply in the future, but it is very expensive and energy-intensive); direct potable reuse of reclaimed water; transfers of Colorado River water from agricultural to urban uses; limited inter-basin transfers of groundwater.

In the Greater Phoenix area, we have access to several sustainable sources of supply. We have surface water from the Colorado River and our local Salt and Verde River Watershed, we have groundwater, and we have recycled and reused water.

Based on 2019 data, 72% of the water used in Arizona is for agriculture, while 22% is used for cities (municipal use) and 6% is used for industries. This is in line with how water is used in much of the world. Learn more.