When a difficult situation or issue spurs a diverse range of reactions, too often people do their best to dodge the subject or ignore it, like an elephant in the room. In Arizona’s water...
Arizona water professionals are always looking for the next big bucket of water for residents and businesses. However, a new study shows that instead we may need to pursue smaller buckets and...
How can so many people live in the middle of the desert? Well it’s because we are acutely aware that we must continually plan and invest to ensure safe, reliable, and sustainable water...
An unusually wet winter combined with the impact of the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), which improves the overall management of the over-taxed Colorado River and ensures more water remains in Lake...
Earlier this month the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) released its latest projections that shows a reduction in the risk of shortage triggered by declining water levels at Lake Mead. The status of the...
The terms drought and shortage are commonplace in conversations across the arid State of Arizona and although they are used together regularly, they are uniquely distinct. Drought is a prolonged...
Within the next week, the United States Bureau of Reclamation will release a report little-known to those outside the world of water professionals. The report, known as the April 24-Month Study, is...
For months we have heard about the looming shortage of Colorado River water and how Arizona must take action to reduce the risk of deeper shortfalls by approving the Lower Basin Drought Contingency...
On March 19th, representatives from the seven states that rely on the Colorado River met to celebrate their collective agreement on the Drought Contingency Plans (DCP). In a letter to Congress, the...
When you live in a place where drought spans multiple decades, every bit of precipitation receives an enthusiastic welcome, but what does that really mean to our drought status, and what effect...
Arizona took an important step on January 31 to protect its Colorado River water and maintain control of its future when the Governor signed legislation approving the State’s participation in...
The Legislature needs to pass the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan (Senate Joint Resolution 1001). They must take action to make sure this happens by January 31st, the deadline imposed by...
The most pressing issue facing Arizona as this 2019 legislative session begins is adoption of the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). It is crucial that our elected officials take swift...
Arizona is much closer to being able to implement the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan (LBDCP), a plan that requires sacrifices from all water users to prevent far deeper shortages of Colorado...
Various races are competing for your attention on the ballot this election season. You know the high-profile races for Governor, the U.S. Congress and the State Legislature. Yet, near the...
Fifty years ago, the cities in the Valley of the Sun applauded when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Colorado River Basin Project Act. The Act authorized federal funding to construct the...
“Next to the air we breathe, water is our most precious resource.” President Lyndon B. Johnson spoke this truth upon signing the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968. This...
Every August, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation releases a study of the Colorado River and this year it had both good news and bad news for states that rely on the river as a water resource. The study...
Now is the time to act on a plan to keep Lake Mead from falling to perilously low levels because of continuing drought and long-standing over-allocation of Colorado River water. That was the...
A secure water supply fuels Arizona’s agriculture, tourism, mining, and even its power. Reliable water supplies are essential to attract industries with high paying jobs and meet the needs of...
Water has been a hot topic at the Legislature ever since last summer when the Governor initiated a statewide conversation about this subject. AMWUA had high hopes at the beginning of the year...
The AMWUA cities believe more must be done to keep the federal government from declaring a shortage on the Colorado River. Here are the reasons why this is important to you: If the...
In a dry land, water is the most precious of resources. So when you start talking about transferring water rights and moving large quantities of water from one region to another, the issues,...
AMWUA cities routinely build partnerships to make sure they can deliver safe, reliable and affordable water to their residents all day every day. The cities share the cost of building and expanding...
Cape Town, home to 4 million people, may become the first major city in the world to run out of water as soon as May 11th. Although half way around the globe, Arizona can still learn from the...
2017 was another busy year in water. It marked AMWUA’s 48th year of supporting the work of 10 Central Arizona cities to assure safe and reliable water for their...
2018 is set to be a big year for Arizona water law. For the last seven months, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has led a conversation about how to improve managing the state's Colorado...
Arizona has been in a state drought for some 22 years, surpassing the worst drought in more than 110 years of record keeping. The Colorado River basin has been experiencing drought for about 17...
Arizona has been working hard to ensure the Secretary of the Interior does not declare a shortage of Colorado River water and cut the state’s water supplies. It has taken a team effort...
It is crucial for Arizona to avoid a shortage declaration of Colorado River water by the federal government because our state would take the first cut. Cities would still receive the same amount of...
So far 2017 has been a good year for water. The Southwest had a rainy winter, an official shortage of Colorado River water appears delayed another year, and there was broad support for water issues...
Ongoing headlines about drought in the southwest are confusing and often seem contradictory. Two weeks ago, a panel of experts advised the Governor's Office that Arizona's drought is not...
It is not easy for cities to build, staff and operate water and wastewater treatment plants and still maintain water and wastewater rates all residents can afford. That’s why Central Arizona...
When it comes to meeting the water needs of a thriving desert economy, the amounts can really add up. Communicating these amounts in a way we can relate to sometimes misses the mark. We've all...
The City of Goodyear is a 189-square-mile West Valley community with 78,190 residents. Goodyear expects its population to grow significantly. These big city dreams and big city plans present both...
In 2009, I was a new member of the Board overseeing the Central Arizona Project (CAP) and energy, not water, was the primary focus. I was surprised with my sudden immersion into the ins and outs of...
Many people are wondering what this rainy, snowy winter means for Arizona after more than two decades of drought. Here are five things we know right now. 1. It's raining and snowing in the...
Like you, AMWUA and its member cities already are working toward 2017 goals. At the same time, we're reviewing what went right in 2016. A look back provides a boost of confidence for us and we...
When I meet people and they find out I work in water, they always ask me this question: When are we going to run out of water? Arizona legislators - particularly those who were just elected - have...
When City of Chandler Councilmember Rick Heumann joined the AMWUA Board of Directors six years ago he knew this about water: "I drank it." He knew Chandler had a water treatment plant and...
Various races are competing for your attention on the ballot this election season. You know the high profile races for President of the United States, the U.S. Congress and the State Legislature....
Here's a dare: Spend a day without water. The truth is you can't. Even if you are willing to give up showering, brushing, flushing, washing your hands, doing laundry, using your dishwasher,...
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation recently confirmed Arizona would not face a declared shortage of Colorado River water in 2017. This is good news but Arizona's cities, farmers and industry...
The goal of safe-yield has motivated Arizona's cities to maximize their use of renewable water supplies - such as river water or recycled wastewater - and to minimize pumping groundwater....
AMWUA works to provide reliable and useful water information and now we have help from a new website called Arizona Water Facts. The website offers a realistic guide to where the state's water...
Lake Mead has dropped to a historic low with a Colorado River shortage declaration looming as soon as the next couple of years. Arizona's water managers have planned and prepared for a Colorado...
Ever wonder about the quality of water that comes out of your faucet? If you live in the City of Phoenix, most of your water comes from the Colorado, Salt and Verde rivers. Water is delivered to...
In 1973, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation broke ground at Lake Havasu for an engineering wonder that would carry an average of 1.5 million acre-feet of Colorado River water each year across Arizona...
The City of Goodyear has a 500,000 gallons-per-day brine problem. That problem will only grow as the quiet little West Valley city along the Estrella Mountains expands. Goodyear is working on an...
Along with thirty conservation leaders and experts in the southwest, I've been wrestling with a project since 2013. It's part of the Moving Forward effort initiated by the Bureau of...
The cities of Mesa and Chandler provide the Gila River Indian Community with reclaimed water to irrigate its growing farm industry. In exchange, the Gila River community gives Mesa and Chandler...
City water managers always think ahead. That's why the Phoenix Metropolitan area has weathered a 15-year drought and is prepared for possible water shortages in the future. This habit of...
The drought and potential shortages of Colorado River water have everyone talking. That's good news because no one seems to pay attention to water issues if there isn't a crisis brewing....