A group has organized to build an aquatic center in town. One of the organizers relocated from Washington State where family members swam competitively. For those who need a gentle reminder, we live in the Sonoran Desert.

Arizona is not a state that receives abundant rainfall. Water resources remain a long-term concern for us. The community pool idea once again begs the question: why do folks move to Fountain Hills and then want to change it?

An Olympic-sized pool requires about 660,000 gallons of water to fill, let alone maintain. Arizona is nowhere near being over our current drought situation. As desert-dwellers, we should be looking for ways to save water, not waste it.

If a swimming pool is important to a family they usually buy a home with a pool or relocate to a neighborhood like Scottsdale, where there are existing community pools. The main issue here is water. Growing population, weather changes and increased demand will continue to make Arizona susceptible to drought.

Let’s conserve this critically important resource and say no to a water-guzzling community pool in Fountain Hills. (The same goes for the preposterous lagoon idea, too.)