Water Supply Tops Arizona Voters’ Concerns

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When the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) asked Arizona voters to choose from a broad list of issues the single top issue facing the state, more voters selected long-term water supplies than any other issue on the list. Water supply is a major concern across political affiliations and age groups. 

According to CFA’s reporting,

  • 71% of voters are not confident Arizona’s water systems can reliably support future growth and extreme heat.
  • 69% do not believe Arizona will have enough water over the long term to support residents, agriculture, and future economic growth.

The CFA research also found substantial agreement among voters on what steps Arizona should take:

  • 78% support strengthening groundwater protections in rural parts of Arizona that currently have fewer groundwater regulations, including 68% of Republicans, 81% of independent/unaffiliated voters, and 87% of Democrats.
  • 78% support limiting new housing development in areas without a guaranteed long-term water supply, including 72% of Republicans, 83% of independent/unaffiliated voters, and 83% of Democrats.

CFA surveyed voters as part of a research initiative to identify and examine the priorities shared across political affiliations and generations. The telephone survey, conducted on June 15–18, 2026, polled 500 Arizona voters who had a history of participation in general elections and reflected the distribution of expected turnout in terms of party, age, region, and gender. Interviews were conducted in both English and Spanish.

CFA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization conducting survey research on the priorities of Arizonans and communicating findings. As described by CFA, it “shares trusted data about how Arizona is doing in those priority areas, brings critical issues to public attention, and works with communities and leaders to solve public problems.” Its programs include The Arizona We Want, which works to build “a research-informed vision of success for the state” and the 2026 Arizona Voters’ Agenda, which focuses on the concerns of voters across the state.