Phoenix introduces new roadmap as potential water shortages loom

Phoenix implements new conservation effort as potential water cuts loom

With federal water cuts looming, Phoenix is implementing new infrastructure and storage plans to protect the Valley's most precious resource. FOX 10's Megan Spector learns more about SWAP. 

PHOENIX - As federal cuts to the Colorado River are looming, Phoenix water leaders brought a plan to the City Council on April 28 for the future of the water supply.

What we know:

City leaders made it clear that Phoenix is not running out of water, saying they've planned for drought for decades. 

"The Colorado River is currently experiencing the lowest flows that it’s seen in over 1000 years," Max Wilson, the Water Resources Management Advisor said. "And this is brought much of the infrastructure that the federal government manages on the Colorado River really to the brink of not being able to do its job."

Nearly 40% of Phoenix’s drinking water relies on the Colorado River, and city leaders are moving to shore up the supply, including a new partnership known as the Secure Water Arizona Program (SWAP), a proactive new roadmap.

"SWAP is a project that will allow folks throughout the state to be able to work together on solving water problems," Wilson said. "At the end of the day, what it will do is give Arizona the tools that it needs to ensure that there are no wet water emergencies in central Arizona."

City of Phoenix prepares for potential water shortages from Colorado River

Phoenix water leaders introduced a new plan to manage resources, ahead of potential water shortages. FOX 10's Megan Spector learns how the city plans to secure the future of their water supply.

The plan introduces backup strategies and statewide partnerships designed to keep the taps flowing, even as the river shrinks, which water experts say is something the city needs to quickly figure out how to manage.

"It’s something that I’ve been advocating for years that there are ways that cities and water utilities can help each other in a way that doesn’t take advantage of their customers, doesn’t take advantage of their portfolios or their assets but is really beneficial," Cynthia Campbell of the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative said. 

What The City is Doing:

"We’ve been working on these issues for our entire history," Wilson said. "Most recently we’ve been expanding our access to surface water supplies and dams, we’ve been storing excess water underground for those not so rainy days, and we’ve been working with our customers to ensure that they are using water as efficiently as possible."

To strengthen water reliability, the city is doing the following:

• Storing unused water underground for future use
• Expanding infrastructure to move water across the system
• Developing additional groundwater capacity
• Investing in renewable surface water supplies
• Advancing Pure Water Phoenix: A new local, drought-resilient water source

"The ways that you choose to use and conserve water will be integral to our ability to live in a world with less Colorado River water," Wilson added. 

What they're saying:

"Things have changed in certain ways. The conditions have worsened," said Campbell. "The lack of progress on the negotiations from the seven-state basin, which really have kept the cities in a perpetual holding pattern for almost three years. All of those things are getting to the point where there has to be a give. There has to be a decision made on what exactly the shortage levels are going to be for next year and beyond."

"Phoenix has been preparing for times of shortage for decades, and we continue to hone our conservation and management strategies," Mayor Gallego said. "We’ve stored significant water underground, made infrastructure improvements that allow us to move water where it’s needed, doubled down on conservation efforts, and supported forest restoration that protects the health of critical watersheds. Phoenix is also leading the development of a regional advanced water purification facility that will serve cities across the metro area near the turn of the decade."

What's next:

While experts urge Arizonans to keep conservation at the forefront, leaders at the national, state and local levels are racing to reimagine the city's water future.

"It’s not an acknowledgment of oh we’re done in Phoenix. It’s more of an acknowledge of what do we need to do to stay sustainable, to stay a very robust city and region," Campbell said. 

What you can do:

For more information about resources and conservation programs, click here.