An upscale community outside Scottsdale, Arizona, has called off New Year’s Day after years of warnings related to supply shortages on the Colorado River.
In Arizona, the Colorado River drought took effect Jan. 1, as the arid Southwest state, along with six other basin states, suffered from the drought that has plagued the region for more than 20 years. I’m in. .
what happened? Scottsdale memo In December, the city warned residents that the January 1 cutoff could leave the Rio Verde Foothills without water for several years, including through 2022. Lawsuits are currently being filed by some Scottsdale City residents whose water can only be delivered by tankers.
According to the city’s website, the Colorado River has experienced an unprecedented drought that, in accordance with its drought management plan, has banned the transportation of its water outside the city limits. They have found other sources and are still offering to bring water to supply homes in Rio Verde.”
Alternative but expensive sources: The cutoff from Scottsdale affected approximately 500 to 700 homes that had no wells and depended on tankers from Scottsdale for their water supply. Tankers had to travel far to find water, and in some households the price of water tripled. According to The, residents are using paper plates, filling toilets with rainwater, showering less and taking other measures. New York Times.
Find development loopholes: According to The Times, Scottsdale has passed a law passed in 1980 that requires proof of 100 years of water supply to be shown for at least six parcels. But in the case of the Rio Verde Foothills, the developer divides the larger lot into he four or he five house sections so that he doesn’t have to legally prove that the community has water. thus circumventing the law.
Maricopa County officials told The Times that there’s not much that developers can do if they make such moves to circumvent water requirements.
Outsourced water supply: The Rio Verde Foothills aren’t the only unincorporated communities cut off from the water supply in Arizona, as the state grapples with ways to address a 21% cut in the Colorado River’s water supply. Phoenix ceased shipping to unincorporated areas of New River in 2017.
Scottsdale said it was acting within the law. website. Scottsdale has a 100-year “Guaranteed Water Supply” certified by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. This supply designation applies to the population of the city at the time of construction. Residents outside the service area who are not connected to the city’s water utility supply system are not considered. According to the Times, even large cities such as Flagstaff and Prescott are delivering water to communities that may find themselves in the same situation.
Utah Connection: The state legislature has had to grapple with a similar situation because some areas outside of Salt Lake City, including Alta, receive their water supply from the municipality. There is a contract, but the surplus water contract can be canceled with his 30 days notice.
