The mayor said while knowing that Maricopa County does not have a safe water source, it is not the city’s responsibility to supply homes for which Maricopa County has issued permits.
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — With hundreds of homes in a rural area near Phoenix facing a water crisis, Scottsdale hoped to announce a holiday miracle soon.
What is the mayor’s response? “There is no Santa Claus.”
Mayor David Ortega made tough statements in a recent statement about the city’s upcoming water cut to the Rio Verde Foothills as part of Scottsdale’s drought plan. Your home will run out of water.
read more: People living in the Rio Verde foothills will have no access to Scottsdale water within 15 days
“The massive drought says it all. Water is not a game of mercy,” Ortega said in a statement.
Ortega sees the community’s proposal to avoid the coming water cutoff as a “special interest group” trying to use Scottsdale’s resources and bring water trucks to the city’s roads. He said Canada-based water utility EPCOR, the community’s main “savior,” could supply water to homes without Scottsdale’s help.
The city formally confirmed Ortega’s message through a response from mayor Jim Thompson on Monday, rejecting a petition from Rio Verde Foothills residents to extend water service.
“The city had been willing to work with the RVF if DWID was approved, but that option is no longer viable given the county superintendent’s decision not to establish it despite efforts by residents. not,” said Thompson’s letter.
“EPCOR is a private company with no jurisdiction over the region. Without DWID and county involvement, the problem of unrestricted and unregulated growth remains unresolved.”
The utility has confirmed it can take over services at the Rio Verde Foothills, but estimates it will take three years to get the services up and running.
Dynamite Water, a water transportation company that currently serves Rio Verde, has sought to act as a quicker solution for the community, planning to purchase a year’s supply of water from the San Carlos Apache Tribe. However, the tribe still requires approval from multiple federal and governmental bodies. tribal institution.
water wars
Water levels are falling across the Southwest as a massive drought continues. Here’s how Arizona and local communities are affected.
