Opinion

Scottsdale residents deserve whole truth on apartments, water

Posted Monday, October 26, 2026 5:43 pm

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By Courtney LeVinus Gilstrap | Arizona Multihousing Association

OPINION — Polls show water ranks atop the issues local voters consider most important. It’s no surprise, then, to see politicians make dubious claims about water usage to sway voters.

Councilman Barry Graham has made water central to his opposition to building new apartments. He claims higher-density apartment and condominium communities put more stress on Scottsdale's water supply compared to single-family neighborhoods. That’s exactly the sort of “politician speak” that clouds an issue that’s vital to the city’s future.

The facts show that apartment communities generally use water more efficiently than single-family home developments. Scottsdale’s 2018 Design Standards and Policy Manual estimates that the average single family home uses about 248 gallons of water daily. Residents who live in higher-density condos use about 185 gallons of water daily. That’s a 25 percent difference daily.

Another important point: Scottsdale Water recently reported that single-family homes accounted for 61% of the city's potable water consumption last year. Apartment and condo communities? Just 20%.

Proposed developments should be evaluated on their merits, including how the additional homes can help address Arizona’s housing crisis. Water consumption, traffic and neighborhood compatibility all must be taken into account. Using facts is the essence of responsible planning.

Scottsdale’s water challenges can only be solved by conservation, infrastructure investment and responsible growth. These problems will not be solved by oversimplification or by making apartments the enemy.

Councilman Graham is certainly entitled to his position. But there’s an important distinction between arguing against apartments and claiming that the city’s data suggests that apartments are inherently wasteful. That is not the case.

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