Water, not incompetence, runs in the family

I am writing in support of the family who owns the Desert Hills Water Company. During the recent water supply crisis, I have been saddened by the fact that this family has been portrayed as simply incompetent. I can assure you this is not the case.

My husband and I have lived in Desert Hills for 31 years. Back then, this was sparsely populated “country.” We are longtime friends and customers of this family, and they are definitely not incompetent, and never have been, in the 31 years we’ve known them.

Part of their problem, in recent years, is the requirement that they supply water to every new home that gets built in Desert Hills, which is a community with a ridiculously rapid growth rate.

Even though they might be “jumping through hoops” every day, trying to keep up with the water needs of their established customer base, if a developer builds 30 new homes in six months, they are required to suddenly supply water to 30 new families–many of whom have no concept of the fact that this is a desert, and water needs to be used conservatively, not wasted on huge yards full of green grass.

The recent water supply crisis was caused by something that was totally out of their control, and eventually, the truth of the situation will be known. In the meantime, it has saddened me to hear longtime friends portrayed as incompetent business people, when this is definitely not the truth of the matter.

Management, not avoidance, needed in water shortage.

Marti Malone Mikl
Phoenix