Water Hauling from Scottsdale has ceased!
The Rio Verde Foothills now has to rely on a very limited water supply, most being hauled in from much farther away.
FEEL FREE TO EMAIL US AT INFO@GOTWATERRVF.COM
PETITION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
"We, the undersigned property owners within the Rio Verde Foothills, are in support of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors negotiating with the City of Scottsdale on an Intergovernmental Agreement to create an immediate interim water solution for the Rio Verde Foothills."
NEXT COMMUNITY MEETING - MARCH 28, 2023 @ 6:30PM MILLER RANCH, 34011 N. 136th Street
MARCH 21ST - MEETING AGENDA - CLICK HERE
GUEST SPEAKERS: REPRESENTATIVE KOLODIN and ROBERT MITCHELL, TIFFANY & BOSCO P.A.
For now, the focus needs to be on the immediate need for water and to do what we can, together, to have water for our families, ranches, rescues and our community as a whole.
LINK: MARCH 21ST, 2023 MEETING - VIDEO
LINK: MARCH 14TH, 2023 MEETING - VIDEO
LINK: MARCH 14th, 2023 MEETING - IN THE NEWS
To sign up to get notified about future meetings, the progress of the interim water solution and talks about possible litigation, click the link at the top of the page.
THE ISSUE
BACKGROUND
Over 500 properties in the Rio Verde Foothills rely on hauled water for their homes. This is for a number of reasons: wells have gone dry, cost, new wells drilled have hit nothing, etc. The City of Scottsdale, which has supplied the majority of hauled water for over 40 years, has officially ceased to areas outside of the City's boundaries at the end of 2022 per this Press Release.
NO CURRENT WATER SOLUTION
As of today, there is NO SOLUTION in place to provide an obligated source of water for RVF residents in 2023 nor a long-term water supply for hauling to homes.
Our community currently uses approximately 48,000,000 gallons of water annually.
Haulers currently have access to possibly 9,000,000 from Global Water who has wells in RVF.
Water haulers can go to areas farther away, like Apache Junction, however this is affecting the cost of water. For example, a 6,000 gallon truck will take a 2 hour round trip, it will take 2 hours to fill the truck at the only fill station in Apache Junction (AZ Water Co.) and additional time to
unload the water. Almost 5 hours....FOR ONE LOAD OF WATER.
The water situation for Arizona is now critical:
"If you look out two years, Lake Powell could go so low that it's essentially dry," Tom Buschatzke, who runs Arizona's water department said. "What that would mean if we hit that, is no water in the river through the Grand Canyon." Watch the full story HERE
For a MAP of the Rio Verde Foothills area located East of North Scottsdale, Arizona click HERE. and go to the bottom of the page.
CURRENT COST IMPACT FOR RESIDENTS
WATER COST IN 2022
4 CENTS A GALLON
MONTHLY COST
2,000 GALLONS - $80
4,000 GALLONS - $160
6,000 GALLONS - $240
10,000 GALLONS - $400
20,000 GALLONS - $800
30,000 GALLONS - $1,200
WATER COST IN 2023
11 CENTS A GALLON
MONTHLY/YEARLY COST
2,000 Gallons, $220 $2,640/yr
Increase: $140/mo $1,680/yr
4,000 Gallons, $440/mo $5,280/yr
Increase: $280/mo $3,360/yr
6,000 Gallons - $660 $7,920/yr
Increase: $420/mo $5,040/yr
10,000 Gallons, $1,100 $13,200/yr
Increase: $600/mo. $7,200/yr
20,000 Gallons, $2,200 $26,500/yr
Increase: $1,200/mo $14,400/yr
30,000 Gallons $3,300 $39,600/yr
Increase: $2,200/mo. $26,400/yr
WHAT IS HAPPENING
WATER DISTRICT (DWID) SOLUTION DENIED BY MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS & THE APPEAL THAT WAS FILED HAS BEEN DISMISSED
WATER DISTRICT (DWID) SOLUTION DENIED BY MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS & THE APPEAL THAT WAS FILED HAS BEEN DISMISSED
WATER DISTRICT (DWID) SOLUTION DENIED BY MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS & THE APPEAL THAT WAS FILED HAS BEEN DISMISSED
THE FOLLOWING SOLUTION WAS TURNED DOWN BY THE MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS!
AS OF 8/31/2022, WE HAVE NO WATER SOLUTION FOR JANUARY 1, 2023!!
The only solution presented as of August 31ST, 2022 is the petition to form a Domestic Water Improvement District (District/DWID) so the Water District can secure a long-term legally dedicated
THE FOLLOWING SOLUTION WAS TURNED DOWN BY THE MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS!
AS OF 8/31/2022, WE HAVE NO WATER SOLUTION FOR JANUARY 1, 2023!!
The only solution presented as of August 31ST, 2022 is the petition to form a Domestic Water Improvement District (District/DWID) so the Water District can secure a long-term legally dedicated source of water for its members and non-members by purchasing more water than what the entire Rio Verde Foothills currently uses.
The District plan was to:
- Secure a short-term, interim water supply to be served on behalf of the Water District at the Scottsdale fill station starting on January 1, 2023.
- Secure 200+ acre feet of long-term water from an outside source, most likely Harquahala Valley, that can be transported via the Central Arizona Project canals to the City of Scottsdale for processing. This is more water than the entire community currently hauls which will provide water for both members and non-members.
- Purchase land, build a fill station and lay a waterline from the Water District's fill station to Scottsdale's waterline to retrieve the water owned by the District.
- The Water District's fill station will have 3 commercial fill stations with one having an accommodation for those who self-haul. Access will be available to both commercial and self haulers.
- Scottsdale had agreed to retrieve the Water District's water from the CAP canal and process the water for the Water District.
- Scottsdale had agreed to allow the Water District to use its fill station at Pima and Jomax until the District's fill station was complete. A special coding system would be set up for the Water District's water.
The reason the Water District has the ability to import a long-term legally dedicated outside source of water is due strictly to the District's ability to purchase Harquahala Valley water and Scottsdale's ability to enter an Intergovernmental Agreement, for a fee, to receive the District's water purchase via the Central Arizona Project canals, process the water and initially make the water available at the City's standpipe until the District's fill station is built and connected to retrieve the District's water.
EPCOR PROPOSES A SOLUTION
WATER DISTRICT (DWID) SOLUTION DENIED BY MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS & THE APPEAL THAT WAS FILED HAS BEEN DISMISSED
WATER DISTRICT (DWID) SOLUTION DENIED BY MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS & THE APPEAL THAT WAS FILED HAS BEEN DISMISSED
EPCOR submitted an application on 10/13/2022 to provide water via a standpipe service to the Rio Verde Foothills. This application is for a long-term solution and does NOT include a solution for 1/1/2023. You can view the filed application, current responses and the calendar for future hearings with the Arizona Corporation Commission HERE
EPCOR submitted an application on 10/13/2022 to provide water via a standpipe service to the Rio Verde Foothills. This application is for a long-term solution and does NOT include a solution for 1/1/2023. You can view the filed application, current responses and the calendar for future hearings with the Arizona Corporation Commission HERE .
The Hearing starts on April 10th, 2023.
OVERVIEW OF KEY DETAILS FROM EPCOR'S APPLICATION with Page # noted:
- TIMEFRAME: At least 24-to-36 months to build separate facilities and construct the water station in order to begin providing service. The timeframe could well exceed 36 months. (pg.
- COST FOR WATER: $20 per 1,000 gallons (pg. 7) (NOTE: This does not include the cost for hauling.) Cost will be substantial and result in significantly higher rates than what is currently in effect. (pg. 2)
- INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS TO SUPPLY STANDPIPE SERVICE: Likely to be at least $6 million not including land or cost of procuring water resources. Cost could reach $10 to $12 million depending on circumstances. (pg. 3)
- WATER SOURCE: Will likely be a combination of groundwater and surface water through various wells that may be the subject of one or more agreements. (pg. 12) A new well will most likely be needed and EPCOR will need to procure water rights separate and apart from the water resources committed for Rio Verdes water district. (pg. 3)
- WATER SERVICE LIMITS:
- ONLY for homes that are built as of January 1, 2024. (pg. 11)
- ONLY to certain customers in the Foothills area who otherwise may not have access to water. (pg. 11)
- For residential water use only, and not for the purposes of irrigating golf courses, ornamental lakes or other aesthetic water features. (pg. 13)
- Water haulers may not deliver water from EPCOR at standpipe to any person other than a resident who lives within the service territory of Rio Verde Foothills in a residence that is constructed as of January 1, 2024 and has an account with EPCOR for use within Rio Verde Foothills. (Exhibit 2)
- EPCOR reserves the right to terminate a customer’s account if the amount of water received from the standpipe under the customer’s account exceeds twice the median monthly residential usage in the Rio Verde Foothills Community for more than two months in any given calendar year. (Exhibit 2)
- NO GUARANTEES: EPCOR is currently exploring multiple alternatives to provide standpipe water service as cost effectively as possible, it can provide no guarantees that any such alternative will prove viable. (pg. 6)
- EPCOR STEPS: EPCOR may have to achieve the following (pg. 6/7):
- Acquire land for standpipe
- Obtain water rights
- Possibly drill a new well from which to pump the water needed to physically supply the standpipe
- Build infrastructure needed to physically supply the standpipe
- Build any other infrastructure needed to ensure an operational standpipe (storage tank, SCADA, arsenic treatment, transmission mains, water station etc.)
- Achieve these items while addressing supply chain constraints potential delays in obtaining permits and actually obtaining a site for the water and design the station.
- CONSOLIDATION: EPCOR requests the guarantee of consolidation with its larger Sonoran Water District in EPCORs next rate case is vital; otherwise, EPCOR cannot proceed. (pg 8)
STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON EPCOR APPLICATION
WATER DISTRICT (DWID) SOLUTION DENIED BY MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS & THE APPEAL THAT WAS FILED HAS BEEN DISMISSED
STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON EPCOR APPLICATION
The staff at the Arizona Corporation Commission has issued their recommendations.
These are recommendations that will be considered by Judge Haines before he makes his recommendation. It will then be up to the Commissioners to decide the final ruling and how each item will be addressed.
To view the calendar for the upcoming hearings, CLICK HERE.
MARICOPA COUNTY / SCOTTSDALE
WATER DISTRICT (DWID) SOLUTION DENIED BY MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS & THE APPEAL THAT WAS FILED HAS BEEN DISMISSED
STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON EPCOR APPLICATION
Since residents of RVF have been left with less that 40% of the needed water for hauling, an Attorney General Opinion, requested by Rep. Cook, provided that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has the authority to temporarily supply water to county residents to preserve public health and sanitation and that the County may enter an in
Since residents of RVF have been left with less that 40% of the needed water for hauling, an Attorney General Opinion, requested by Rep. Cook, provided that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has the authority to temporarily supply water to county residents to preserve public health and sanitation and that the County may enter an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Scottsdale or by contracting with a private company.
Within 7 days, the City of Scottsdale created an Agreement that Mayor Ortega and the Council unanimously approved an agreement which they said needed to be worked on but was a starting point, took the politicians out of it by having the City staff work with County staff to iron out the details so water would once again be available at the Scottsdale fill station until a permanent solution is determined. NOTE: The water supply used would not impact Scottsdale's water supply for residents and would not cost Scottsdale citizens any money.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors turned down the agreement and refused to work with the City of Scottsdale on a solution. Instead, the BoS said that the City should work with EPCOR to provide the County's constituents water. However, Supervisor Galvin admitted that the BoS had no legal authority to compel the City to work with EPCOR.
WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE RVF?
WITH NO DEDICATED INTERIM WATER SUPPLY!
____________________________
COPIES FROM Attorney General Kris Mayes Opinion #23-001:
Question Presented
Can a county board of supervisors enter into a short-term agreement on an emergency basis with a government entity or private company to supply water to county residents who lost their previous water source and are awaiting the construction of a new permanent water system?
Summary Answer
Yes, a county board of supervisors has the authority to temporarily supply water to county residents to preserve public health and sanitation under A.R.S. § 11–251(17), (31). A county may do so through an intergovernmental agreement with a public agency with whom it shares a joint shared power, A.R.S. § 11–952, or by contracting with a private company, A.R.S. § 11–201(A)(3).
NOTICE:
It is IMPORTANT to understand a water hauler is a company that has a permit to deliver water & is NOT THE SOURCE OF WATER.
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