FAQs

Who relies on hauled water in our community?

Roughly 700 residences in the Rio Verde Foothills (RVF) rely on water from the City of Scottsdale via commercial water haulers or hauling themselves. This number does not include those on wells - private or shared, that rely on hauled water as back up when they have a well issue, need a rare supplement or need to fill their pool.

For those residents on hauled water, we STRONGLY ADVISE you to verify that you have a long term source of water that would be available to be hauled to you should you decide not to join the District. (A water hauler is the company that delivers water and is NOT the source of water.)

Why do some properties rely on hauled water?

Because their current well is producing less or has dried up.
Because they may have a good well but want a backup source for pool fills, well issues, etc.
For home building and construction.
Ranches that may need to supplement.
Because the property does not have water available for a well.
For fire suppression. Hauled water is a MUST for our community and the Fire Department.

What is the difference between a DWID, Co-op and a CFD (Community Facilities District)?

A Domestic Water Improvement District (District) is a political subdivision of the State and is not-for-profit. Among other powers, it has the authority to finance and serve water inside and outside District boundaries – meaning that if the District puts in standpipes, it can sell excess water to non-members. Rates are established to cover the costs of running the District and serving water. A District is not regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission. If water rates do not cover the costs of the District, the District may assess fees and/or levy taxes. If the District makes a profit, it can lower fees for members.
A Cooperative (Co-op) is not-for-profit and is set up to serve its members. This restricts access to participating members. Water is not served/provided to persons who are not members of the cooperative. Rates must first be approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Attorney fees can cost up to $40,000. If a Co-op needs to modify rates, it must first get approval from the Corporation Commission which is additional Attorney fees. If a Co-op makes a profit, it distributes excess monies collected back to its members.
A Community Facilities District (CFD) is a District created by a town or a city, typically in conjunction with a developer, to fund infrastructure improvements for new growth. A CFD is not applicable to the situation in the Rio Verde Foothills.

*The benefit is the District can be a good neighbor by selling excess water to non-members in RVF who need a pool fill, supplement their well when it has issues, etc.

What is the definition per Arizona Revised Statute for a Domestic Water Improvement District (District)?

"Domestic water improvement district" means a county improvement district that is formed for the purpose of constructing or improving a domestic water delivery system or purchasing an existing domestic water delivery system and, if necessary, making improvements to the system per A.R.S. 48-1011.

Why was a District decided on in 2018 after the Community Meeting?

Districts are eligible for grant funding unavailable to corporations.
Districts are eligible for subsidized low-interest loans.
Districts may not be subject to transaction taxes.
Districts have the most economical rate adjustment process.
Districts are less costly to form and once formed, more efficient and less costly to manage.
As a District, we would have the ability to sell excess water to non-members in our community.
Open Meeting Laws apply to Districts, which means greater transparency for its members.

How is a District formed?

The method of forming a District is strictly set in the Arizona Revised Statute for County Improvement Districts and Domestic Water Improvement Districts under A.R.S. 48 Chapter 6. Here are some highlights of the process:

Petition signatures are gathered for support of the District and are filed with the Clerk of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (BoS). NOTE: For our District, only those parcels whose owner signs the petition will be part of the District. If a parcel owner does not sign the petition the parcel will NOT be included in the District.

51% or more of real property owners must sign. NOTE: Since our District will include ONLY those parcels whose owner signs the petition we will have 100% participation.

At the time of filing, the petitioners must also file a bond in case the BoS refuses to establish the District.

When the BoS receives the Petition, it sets a date for a public hearing (within 40 days) on the establishment and appointment of a Board of Directors.

Once the District is organized, the Board of Directors will take the Oath of Office. Then the Board can meet and begin to exercise the powers granted to the District.

If I do not sign the petition, will this affect my property taxes?

No. You will not be part of the District and will not be taxed. (The current cost estimates for the District is accomplished with no property tax to its members.)

What are the District boundaries?

Since only a portion of our community has a need for hauled water, our intention, as we have expressed to Deputy Maricopa County Manager: Reid Spaulding, Maricopa County Supervisor; Steve Chucri and his Chief of Staff; Page Gonzales and AZ House Representative; John Kavanagh are:

We have collected petition signatures for a NONCONTIGUOUS District for RVF. In other words - the District will be made up of properties that are not touching each other.
Not all parcels in RVF have a need for hauled water. A noncontiguous District allows for the ability to ONLY include those parcels whose owner(s) sign the petition.
The "Initial Proposed Boundary Map" will include the unincorporated area between the City of Scottsdale and Rio Verde proper except for those properties serviced by EPCOR or Global Water. This will allow ALL parcel owners within this area the CHOICE to join the District by signing the petition and not leave any parcel out that wants to have a secured source of water, which is a public necessity.
The "Amended Proposed Boundary Map" was created including ONLY those parcels whose owners have signed the petition.
If you do NOT sign the petition, your property will NOT be part of the District.

How does one become a District Board member?

The Initial Board members will be included on the Petition. Thereafter, Board members are elected every two years. Those that would like to run to be on the Board may do so if they are a member, are registered to vote in Arizona and own property within the District.

How is the District funded?

If revenues from water sales are not enough to fund District operations, then the District has the authority to apply for grants, obtain loans and charge fees and/or levy taxes. There are loan and grant options for Districts, including some that are not available for Co-ops/Private Companies. Bonds are another option.

Does a Board member get paid a salary?

No. Each Board member may get paid a maximum of $75 for each board meeting attended with a maximum of four meetings per calendar month. They may also receive reimbursement for necessary expenses while engaged in official business of the district as authorized by the board. (A.R.S. 48-1013)

Once a District is formed, who determines rates and when/how they may increase?

Each year the District Board must prepare annual statements and estimates of expenses and budgets for the District, publish a notice to the public, hold hearings and adopt the budget at the times and in the manner provided for county statements and estimates by Arizona Revised Statutes Title 42, Chapter 17, Article 3. This is the same time frame and process required for cities and towns. A vote is not required, but a public hearing must be held and residents within the District have the right to question and discuss the proposed budget and any charges resulting from the budget. Rate increases are determined to help cover administrative expenses, avoid shortfall in revenues, and to minimize the need for additional assessment or tax levy.

Can my parcel be in the District if I am within the service area of EPCOR or Global Water Resources?

No. These areas which include Granite Mountain, Rio Mountain Estates, Trilogy, Tonto Verde and Rio Verde at the bottom of the hill may not be part of the District.

Can a District cap the well(s) of a property owner within or outside the District boundaries?

No, the District has no authority to cap your well, within or outside its boundaries. A District can cap a well it owns, for example: The District well dried up and needed to be "capped".

SHARED WELLS:

Based on input from neighbors on shared wells, the Rio Verde Foothills Domestic Water Improvement District may include members on shared wells or water tanks based on one of the two options.

ALL PARCELS that are part of a shared well or water tank will be required to be members of the District and have a least one shared tank to receive District water.

ANY INDIVIDUAL PARCEL that is part of a shared well or shared water tank that wants to join the District, without all members of the shared tank joining, will be required to have a separate tank within its parcel to receive District water. (This provides a means for each parcel to join the District individually.)

Will there be a water tower? (Yes, these are real questions from our community.)

No.

I was told that it was determined that there is no water source for the District to purchase.

There are sources of water for various amounts of time (1 year to 100 year supply) available, as of July, 2021, for purchase.

I heard that the volunteers had given up on these efforts and were no longer moving forward.

The current team, recruited by the prior volunteers, came on board in 2019, worked with prior members on how to form a District and eventually became the current volunteers continuing the efforts the prior group started. We are a determined group of neighbors and have been working on this continually and definitely have not given up. Please go to our HISTORY page for the timeline. A copy of the Petition can be read under the "Petition" tab above.

I have been told the District will be able to "annex" properties of Rio Verde Foothills into the District against their will, is this true?

For a water District:

A.R.S. 48-906 ADDITION OR ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN AREAS. This does not use the word annexation but describes how “persons owning property” could “petition” to be added or removed and the process.

NOTE: Most water districts limit the frequency in which additions can be petitioned for due to the complexity of the process. The petition approval would depend on the availability of water for those that want to be added after formation.

Can I join the District later?

The District will allow for an annual petition drive by non-members dependent on water availability.

What if the District does not have a sufficient amount of water to allow for addition of new parcels?

At that time, if there were enough new parcels wanting to join the District, the District could consider securing an additional source of water, if available, for this group.

Can I remove my parcel from the District?

Once land is included in a domestic water improvement district, that land may not be removed unless approved by the district’s governing board. Pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes § 48-906(D), a landowner seeking deletion of land from the district must file a petition explaining the “necessity” for the deletion and showing that the “public convenience, necessity or welfare will be promoted” by the deletion. Whether a requested deletion is in the public interest is determined by the district’s governing board based upon the facts and circumstances surrounding the request, taking into account the impact on the district as a whole. In order to demonstrate that the deletion of land would promote the public convenience, necessity and welfare, the landowner would need to make a compelling case.

Will the cost of water go up?

The final cost will depend on the source of water, transportation, processing, etc.

Does a District have the power to tax properties of members?

Yes, a District has the right to tax parcels of the District. The District does not have authority to tax non-members. At this point we do not know if there will be a tax on member properties.

Condemnation - What is it?

Here is a simplified version of how condemnation works:

Condemnation is the procedural process of confiscation of private property for a public use and is legally permissible through the power of eminent domain, so long as the government provides payment of just compensation to the Owner for the private land being seized. In Arizona; the State, Counties, all cities, governmental agencies and a person have this authority. For more details on the process of condemnation go to A.R.S. 12-1111 to 1116.

When might a District use this power? The RVF District will need to lay a pipe to connect the standpipe to the source of water. Most likely there will be a utility easement available that we can use for the piping. If not, the District would have the right to ask for an easement to allow the connection.

I have a good working well, will I have to join?

No. Only those who sign the petition will be part of the District. Some well owners are joining the District to have a secure source of water for the future, a backup source of water for well issues, a pool fill, construction, etc.

Will the District have a water conservation and drought contingency plan?

Yes. The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) requires all water providers to have a water conservation and drought contingency plan.

How much water do we use?

The exact amount is unknown. Per Scottsdale Water’s accounting, in 20202, our commercial haulers transported approximately 106 acre feet (45,619,140 gallons of water). However, it is not known how much of this water was delivered to the Rio Verde Foothills. Global Water Resources also intermittently supplements up to 1,000,000 gallons of water per month to our commercial haulers from our aquifer. There have been months where this water is not available. Additionally, there are numerous homes being built and the majority of these rely on hauled water.

What impacts the demand and dependence on hauled water in the RVF area?

Because we live in unincorporated Maricopa County, “wildcat” developers are allowed to divide and build on a property, within specific guidelines, up to 5 times without providing a “Certificate of 100 years of Assured Water Supply” for these homes. Currently, many developers are building homes in RVF that will be dependent on hauled water.
Arizona is currently in our 26th year of a long-term drought. (Per Arizona's State Climatologist, Dr. Nancy Selover.) There are many wells in RVF that have dried up, produce less than they use to or require supplementation of hauled water.
Some builders/owners choose not to put in a well for a new house due to the high cost and haul instead.

Water is increasingly becoming a more precious commodity as the drought continues, the water shortage increases and cities/communities expand. Other rural communities who do not currently have a long term source of water are or will be seeking a source of water and the supply and the suppliers are limited. It is advantageous to be prepared to move forward in a timely manner in order to secure a water source. However, until we form a District, we cannot negotiate for water, nor do business directly with Central Arizona Project (CAP), Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona, and other entities. We have been meeting with numerous officials within State and local governments, as well as engineers, hydrologists, water brokers and more in pursuit of this goal. We will provide more information as we move forward.
* "Domestic water improvement district" means a county improvement district that is formed for the purpose of constructing or improving a domestic water delivery system or purchasing an existing domestic water delivery system and, if necessary, making improvements to the system per A.R.S. 48-1011.

RVF Water Resources Inc. is a Nonprofit that has been established to assist with fundraising, volunteers, financial accountability and transparency to support the goal of forming a District to secure a source of water. Once the District is formed, RVF Water Resources Inc. will be dissolved and any funds left in the account will be given to the District. We are seeking donations to cover costs and your support would be greatly appreciated. Funds contributed to RVF Water Resources Inc. are NOT tax deductible. Funds can be donated three ways:

By Credit Card:

Donate

Through ZELLE (Bank to Bank):

INFO@GotWaterRVF.com

RVF Water Resources Inc Scottsdale

Mail a check to:

RVF Water Resources Inc

28150 N Alma School Pkwy #103-275

Scottsdale, AZ 85262

Who are the Directors of RVF Water Resources Inc., a Nonprofit Corporation set up to help with fundraising, accountability and transparency?

Your neighbors: Jennifer Simpson, John Jouas and Karen Nabity

NOTE: Donations are not tax deductible.

Do you have questions that are not showing here?

Please give us a call and lets talk!

Karen Nabity - 602-299-5222

Jennifer Simpson - 602-402-2206

You can also email us at INFO@GotWaterRVF.com