(Center Square) – Scottsdale City Council letter On May 17, he called on Gov. Katie Hobbs to veto a recent bill that would require the city to sell water to the adjacent unincorporated community, the Rio Verde Foothills.
House Bill 2441 was passed by the state legislature on May 15, requiring 500 households to receive 150 acre-feet of water annually. The city is also not allowed to charge more than $20 per 1,000 gallons of water.
“The City of Scottsdale understands the needs of RVF residents for access to safe, affordable water and is ready and willing to participate in smart solutions while protecting Scottsdale citizens and resources. I will,” the letter said.
The city of Scottsdale claims the bill would force it to violate a state-mandated drought management plan that would suspend water service to individuals outside the city limits from December 2022. It also said the $20 price tag is unreasonable, based on estimates of up to $20. EPCOR Utilities, the city’s water management provider, will pay $40 per 1,000 gallons.
Rio Verde Foothills was warned of an impending closure in November 2022, but no solution has yet been found. Two communities already tried Many compromises were made, all of which ended in failure, including when Maricopa County rejected the Rio Verde Foothills intergovernmental agreement to set up its own resident-led water commission.
EPCOR recently submitted an application to the Arizona State Business Commission for community water pipes, but it appears that the application was submitted too late. Current estimates suggest that it could take up to three years to have all the necessary infrastructure to install a stand-alone standpipe in the Rio Verde Foothills.
The City of Scottsdale is awaiting a response from Hobbes, which has not yet acted on the bill.
