Decentralized treatment systems can help manage drought and aquifer health for water resilience in Arizona
Arizona is no stranger to water scarcity, but a historic megadrought—combined with declining Colorado River inflows and groundwater depletion—is pushing the state toward crisis. Fast-growing counties like Pinal, Maricopa, and Yavapai are placing even greater demand on already overstressed resources.
To sustain growth and protect aquifers, Arizona needs decentralized water and wastewater solutions that deliver capacity faster, reduce dependence on groundwater, and align with the state’s complex regulatory framework.
The Dual Challenge: Drought and Aquifer Stress
As surface water allocations shrink, communities increasingly rely on groundwater, which is a short-term fix with long-term costs. Overpumping has caused land subsidence, depleted wells, and growing tension among water users. Traditional centralized systems can be slow and capital-intensive, making it hard to keep pace with Arizona’s rapid growth or local water realities.
The state’s regulatory framework, led by the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), already supports decentralized innovation. Active Management Areas (AMAs) require proof of Assured Water Supply for long-term growth, while the new ADEQ reclaimed water and reuse standards provide clear permitting paths for modular systems. Together, these programs make decentralized infrastructure both feasible and financeable.
The Decentralized Advantage
Decentralized modular plants located near the point of use can treat brackish, surface, or reclaimed water, reducing strain on aquifers and building local resilience. Decentralized wastewater treatment plants can recycle water for non-potable or potable applications, turning “waste” into a valuable local resource and protecting limited supplies.
A distributed network of smaller plants also limits vulnerability to single points of failure and builds resilience. And because they are modular, these systems allow utilities and developers to build what they need now and expand as demand grows, ideal for Arizona’s fast-changing growth corridors.
Beyond Plants: Planning and Asset Management
To be effective, building resilience requires more than just technology; it requires data-driven planning and smart asset management, including:
- Aquifer and supply studies: Modeling future demand, assessing depletion risks, and identifying alternative water sources.
- Master planning: Developing and mapping phased strategies that deploy modular plants in line with population growth.
- Regulatory navigation: Ensuring alignment with ADEQ and ADWR requirements to ensure compliance and permit readiness while planning for reuse and sustainability.
- Asset management: Extending infrastructure lifespans and optimizing lifecycle costs through proactive planning and monitoring.
Seven Seas Water Group supports these efforts through technical studies and infrastructure partnerships that integrate planning, permitting, and delivery under one streamlined process.
How WaaS® and Leasing Enable Action Now
For many Arizona communities, funding remains the biggest barrier to water infrastructure. Water-as-a-Service® (WaaS®) and lease models eliminate major upfront costs and accelerate timelines.
These innovative financing models offer several benefits:
- No upfront capital: Infrastructure is financed by Seven Seas. Municipalities or developers pay a predictable, fixed monthly fee for the service provided, simplifying budgeting and financial planning.
- Faster procurement: One provider takes care of studies, design, and build, significantly speeding up deployment.
- Scalability: Systems expand as growth and water demand increase.
- Regulatory compliance: Plants are designed to meet Arizona’s stringent regulatory standards from day one.
By combining financial flexibility with proven technology, WaaS® empowers utilities and developers to secure the water infrastructure they need now, not years from now.
Real-World Success: Forest Highlands and Beyond
The Seven Seas Water Group project in Forest Highlands, Arizona, demonstrates how decentralized treatment can be installed in phases that match the staged expansion of development. For this project, capacity was installed incrementally — 30,000 GPD in Phase 1, followed by two 90,000-GPD expansions — reaching 210,000 GPD total. The phased approach preserved capital, accelerated service, and safeguarded local groundwater.
A similar approach could benefit Pinal County developments and beyond, where phased projects could incorporate reuse loops to recycle water locally and minimize strain on regional aquifers.
The Risk of Inaction
Arizona can’t afford to wait. Continued reliance on overstressed aquifers and slow, centralized infrastructure puts communities at risk of costly delays, permit challenges, and water insecurity.
Arizona’s water future depends on innovation, not tradition. Decentralized water and wastewater solutions — supported by smart studies, master planning, and flexible financing — can usher in a water-secure future. These systems not only protect critical groundwater reserves but also scale with growth, ensuring long-term resilience.
By embracing decentralized systems today, Arizona can safeguard aquifers, support continued growth, and lead the nation in resilient water management. Seven Seas Water Group offers no-obligation assessments to help municipalities and developers evaluate aquifer risk and deploy decentralized solutions that protect both growth and groundwater.
Explore decentralized water and wastewater solutions for Arizona tailored to the state’s growth and groundwater challenges.
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About Seven Seas Water Group
Seven Seas Water Group provides more than 20 billion gallons of water annually across the Americas. Specializing in decentralized Water-as-a-Service® solutions, Seven Seas designs, builds, operates, and upgrades facilities to optimize public-private risk transfer and address global water and wastewater infrastructure challenges for diverse sectors.
Author: Erik Arfalk is the Senior Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Seven Seas Water Group. With over 20 years of international strategy and business development experience from companies like GE, Atlas Copco, and Fluence, Mr. Arfalk currently leads strategic growth and branding initiatives for Seven Seas.
