Drought-hit Arizona town tells residents to skip showers and rewear their clothes as wells run dry

Arizona Town Runs Dry

Kearny, an Arizona desert town of around 2,000 people, is running low on water, forcing residents to change their daily routines as drought intensifies across the US Southwest.

Footage filmed on Monday shows Kearny’s dry landscape, a drought-hit golf course, a river surrounded by parched land, water infrastructure and sports and school grounds with dried grass.

Public Works Director Eric Armenta said the town quickly moved from Level Three restrictions to Level Five, limiting water use to drinking, sanitation and other essential needs.

“We actually asked our citizens to cut back on taking showers. You know, go one or two days if you can, to restrict your usage on washing clothes. We asked people to wear your clothes two or three times,” he explained.

Residents Reduce Water Use

Armenta detailed that residents and local schools reduced water consumption by nearly 7.6 million litres (2 million gallons) during the first month of restrictions.

Ageing infrastructure added to the pressure. The town has more than 800 household water meters, around 20 percent of which fail each year, while water mains and service lines regularly break.

One of Kearny’s main wells can pump up to 2,650 litres (700 gallons) per minute and normally operates at around 1,890 litres (500 gallons). Officials have reduced the pumping rate because falling groundwater levels are causing more air to enter the system.

“With the drought, our water levels underneath the ground aren’t as high as they normally are. So we’ve been sucking in a lot more air,” Armenta added.

Community Finds Solutions

At a local school, the shortage has prompted staff and students to find new ways to conserve water, including collecting rainwater, improving soil and using aquaponics.

“When the town of Kearny said, ‘Hey, no watering,’ we had to find ways to be creative with our water. […] This year we’ve begun an aquaponics project, and of course, that takes way less water than the traditional garden in the soil,” shared curriculum director Rebecca Brewer.

She remarked, “It’s hard on a community when you take the water away, if you can’t wash your clothes or shower,” adding, “We’re trying to find creative ways to help students be clean and come to school with confidence.”

Officials say conservation efforts have helped reduce demand, but Kearny remains under emergency restrictions while searching for long-term solutions. The crisis reflects a wider drought across the US Southwest, where prolonged dry conditions, rising temperatures and falling groundwater levels are putting pressure on water supplies.

Article by Viory