|
|
AMWUA Members The members of AMWUA are cities and towns located in Maricopa County, Arizona. Each member owns water distribution systems and wastewater collection and treatment facilities. Collectively, the AMWUA members provide water service to over 3.2 million people--over 50 percent of the state's population. Relying first on water from the Salt River Project, the nation's original federal reclamation project, and later on water delivered by the Central Arizona Project, AMWUA's members have developed and enhanced a vibrant economy in the Valley of the Sun.
Avondale's founding father, William "Billy" G. Moore, arrived in Arizona in the late 1860s, settling near the Agua Fria River in 1880. Billy Moore called his settlement "Coldwater, Arizona" - apparently both for the river and the water that flowed from a local spring. Commerce was at the heart of Avondale even then. Avondale was one of the very earliest stage stations in the region, supplying travelers with provisions on their way from Tucson to northern Arizona and California.
 Avondale is a modern city, near the heart of the Phoenix-metropolitan area. Over the last decade, population growth took place at a rate of over 114%, making the city one of the fastest-growing in Maricopa County. The current population is estimated at 76,238 residents and is projected to rise to 106,000 by 2020. Avondale offers nearly 200 acres of parks and 7.5 miles of lakeside trails for active and passive activities. Avondale's gem - and a state treasure - is Monument Hill, a rich riparian habitat located along the Gila River abounding with many species of fish, birds and wildlife. Avondale is also the proud home of Phoenix International Raceway (PIR), which boasts two exciting race weekends a year. Nearly 250,000 race fans attend these events. The City is also home to the Randall McDaniel Sports Complex, which offers 83,000 square feet of indoor soccer, basketball and volleyball, while Friendship Park, with its ten multipurpose fields, hosts soccer tournaments and special events year round.  With six independent public school districts, private and charter schools, Estrella Mountain Community College, Rio Salado College and Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Avondale offers a wide range of educational opportunities to ensure the foundation for a diversified workforce that will continue to sustain the city well into the future. Medical-related professions also thrive here with two hospitals on Avondale's border and a 2013 opening of Phoenix Children's Hospital in the West Valley.
For more information, visit Avondale's website
In 1891, Dr. Alexander John Chandler, the first veterinary surgeon for the territory of Arizona, bought 80
acres of land from the federal government south of Mesa in the Salt River Valley. By the turn of the
century, Dr. Chandler owned an 18,000 acre ranch. Dr. Chandler sought the help of planners and architects
in subdividing his ranch and drawing up a townsite map. He then advertised nationally the sale of Chandler
Ranch sites. On May 17, 1912, Dr. Chandler opened the townsite office.  In recent years, Chandler's borders have expanded and its population has boomed --
from 30,000 in 1980 to more than 240,000 today - making Chandler the fourth largest city in the state. The
economic base of Chandler has diversified. While agriculture is still vital, Chandler now enjoys a strong
manufacturing and electronics sector, including several fabrication plants owned and operated by the Intel
Corporation. Chandler has also garnered its share of national honors including a Top 100 Place to live by Money Magazine and CNN, a Top 10 Best Run City by the website Wall Street 24/7, a five-time winner of the 100 Best Communities for Young People, and the coveted All-America City award in 2010. Chandler also enjoys Triple-A bond ratings from the country's three rating agencies and has been honored for its transparent budget process for more than 20 consecutive years.  Chandler's reputation as a
family-friendly community is accentuated by low crime rates, a great parks system and a host of
recreational amenities.For more information, visit Chandler's website
 In 1902, the Arizona Eastern Railway asked for donations of rights of way in order to establish a rail line between Phoenix and Florence, Arizona. A rail siding was established on property owned by William "Bobby" Gilbert. The siding, and the town that sprang up around it, eventually became known as Gilbert. Gilbert was a prime farming community, fueled by the construction of Roosevelt Dam and the Eastern and Consolidated Canals in 1911. It remained an agriculture town for many years, and was known as the "Hay Capital of the World" until the late 1920s.
 The town began to take its current shape during the 1970s when the Town Council approved a strip annexation that encompassed 53 square miles of county land. Although the population was only 1,971 in 1970, the Council realized that Gilbert would eventually grow and develop much like the neighboring communities of Tempe, Mesa and Chandler. This proved to be a farsighted decision as the town positioned itself for growth in the 1980s and beyond.
For more information, visit Gilbert's website
As the largest city in the West Valley, Glendale's history of growth was influenced by its early infrastructure connections. In 1882, William J. Murphy joined three Arizona builders, M.W. Kales, William A. Hancock and Clark Churchill, to lead the Arizona Canal Co. project, bringing water to the west valley. By the late 1880s, several homesteaders began to settle around the new canal and the pathway for a line of the Santa Fe Railroad, linking the Salt River Valley to Prescott and northern Arizona.
 World War II brought the birth of Thunderbird Field to train civilian pilots for the Army. While this field was being built in 1941, the Army was busy working on a larger base 10 miles west of Glendale - Luke Air Force Base, named for the first pilot to receive a Congressional Medal of Honor, Lt. Frank Luke Jr.
Luke Air Force Base today continues its tradition of training many of the nation's top military pilots. In 2012, the Department of Defense announced that Luke Air Force Base will serve as the new F-35 training site.  Several higher education campuses are located in Glendale, including Midwestern University and Glendale Community College. Thunderbird School of Global Management, located on the grounds of the original Thunderbird Field, is ranked among the top schools for international business.
 Over the past decade, Glendale has transformed itself into a destination for national sporting events. Glendale is home of the Arizona Cardinals NFL team and Coyotes NHL team. The Glendale's Sports and Entertainment District is a major sports destination in Arizona. The University of Phoenix stadium and Jobing.com arena are host sites for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, BCS National College Football Championship games, and the 2008 and 2015 Super Bowls.
For more information, visit Glendale's website
 Goodyear's scenic mountain views, desert vistas, wide open spaces, golf courses, and parks have now attracted 67,000 residents who are among the most affluent and best educated in the state. The community, located along the Gila River west of Phoenix, got its start when Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company sent its young executive, John Litchfield, to Arizona to find a place to grow cotton, to replace sources that became inaccessible during World War I. When the small community around the Goodyear Farms incorporated in 1946 it was known as Goodyear. Today, it is home to Cancer Treatment Centers of America and Major League Baseball Spring Training for both the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians.
In the West Valley of Phoenix, Goodyear has been the recipient of much of the Valley's recent growth. Between 2000 and 2006, the city was the fourth fastest growing suburban city under 100,000 in the nation according to Forbes Magazine. At build out, Goodyear's population is predicted to be well above 600,000. With spectacular master-planned communities hosting country clubs and golf courses; excellent schools and hospitals; a wide variety of dining and shopping opportunities; and trail systems among the Estrella Mountains' foothills and adjoining valleys fostering an active outdoor lifestyle, Goodyear has been planned with "unsurpassed quality" in mind. For more information, visit Goodyear's website
 The first settlers came to what is now Mesa in September of 1877. Primarily a farming community with citrus and cotton as its main crops, the settlers immediately began clearing the original irrigation canals, which were abandoned by the Hohokam Indians in the 15th Century, so that water could flow through them once again. Mesa, like many of the cities in the Valley, had a significant role in World War II. Falcon Field Airport and Williams Air Force Base were built in 1941 to provide training for World War II pilots, Falcon Field for the British Royal Air Force and Williams for U.S. pilots.
 Mesa is now the third-largest city in Arizona and 39th-largest city in the United States. The City provides the advantages of a thriving metropolis while maintaining the feel of a suburban environment.
Larger than Miami, Minneapolis and Atlanta, Mesa covers 133 square miles and is the second largest city in the region. The Phoenix-Mesa area's population is approximately 4 million and projected to reach 6.3 million by 2030 - ripe with opportunity now and many years into the future.  With dynamic recreational, educational and business environments, Mesa enjoys the best in a variety of amenities including parks within easy walking distance from home, a variety of sports facilities that cater to athletes young and old, highly rated golf courses for every skill level, a diversity of special events and community festivals, and Mesa's ever-popular Chicago Cubs Spring Training baseball.
Mesa offers: -A diverse and sustainable economy that features a balance of base industries including healthcare, education, aerospace, tourism and technology that create high quality jobs -An educated workforce -A partnership of government and industry that considers next generation technologies and products as economic opportunities -Business people who see Mesa as their home and the world as their marketplace For more information, visit Mesa's website Read more about Mesa's water accomplishments.
With the completion of the Arizona Canal in 1885, William J. Murphy's vision of fertile farm lands fed by water from the Salt River became a reality. He headed west and initially recruited four families from Peoria, Illinois in 1886.
The city is home to Lake Pleasant - the state's second largest lake; and the Peoria Sports Complex - spring training home of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners. Peoria boasts other award-winning facilities including the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts and Rio Vista Community Park and Recreation Center. The city also is proud of its relationship with the arts community, including non-profits such as the Challenger Space Center, West Valley Art Museum, and Arizona Broadway Theatre. Those attractions along with 35 miles of hiking trails, top-notch schools, well planned residential neighborhoods and an enticing variety of shopping, dining and entertainment options led Money magazine to rank Peoria among its 100 "Best Places to Live" in 2008. Peoria has a diverse water resources portfolio that includes renewable supplies from the Colorado, Salt and Verde Rivers, as well as 100% of its reclaimed water. Click here for more information on the City's water resources, and visit conserve.peoriaaz.gov to learn about the City's conservation program.
In 1867, Jack Swilling organized the Swilling Irrigation Canal Company, and moved
into the Salt River Valley. The same year, the company began digging a canal to divert some of the water of
the Salt River onto the lands of the Valley. By 1868, a small colony had formed approximately four miles
east of the present city. Swilling's Mill became the name of the area. It was later changed to Helling Mill,
then Mill City, and years later, East Phoenix. Finally, it was suggested to name the town Phoenix, because
the new town would spring from the ruins of a former civilization. The 11th Territorial Legislature passed
the "Phoenix Charter Bill" in 1881, which made Phoenix an incorporated city. The state Capitol made its
permanent home in Phoenix when a 10-acre lot was donated at the west end of Washington Street.
For more information, visit Phoenix's website Read more about Phoenix's water accomplishments.
In 1888, U.S. Army Chaplain Winfield Scott paid $2.50 an acre for a 640-acre stretch of land near the heart of present-day downtown Scottsdale. Scott's purchase would become the driving force that developed into the city that bears his name.
 Scottsdale is annually rated among the nation's most desirable communities to live in, visit and do business
in. Our vibrant downtown is considered the finest urban center in Arizona. It is home to more than 90
restaurants, 320 retail shops and more than 80 art galleries. The Scottsdale Airpark, surrounding the city's airport, is a magnet for a variety of large and small businesses, ranging from light industry to luxury auto sales. The Airpark is also one of the top employment centers in the Phoenix metro area.  Unique to Scottsdale is the ability for residents and visitors to ride horse back through the pristine
Arizona desert in the morning and visit one of the country's best contemporary art museums in the afternoon.
Scottsdale is now counted among the 100 largest cities in the nation, but retains its connection to its
small-town, Western heritage. Scottsdale Water Resources has been an industry leader in implementing new technologies for water treatment, reclamation processes and procedures and water conservation programs that enhance sustainability.  In 2011, Scottsdale celebrated its 60th anniversary as an incorporated city. The city has approximately
217,385 residents, is the sixth largest city in Arizona and the 92nd largest city in the United States.
Scottsdale encompasses approximately 184.5 square miles, stretching 31 miles from north to south.
Approximately 182,771 people work in Scottsdale, including 6,650 at Scottsdale Healthcare, the city's
largest employer. The city currently employs 2,227 full-time and 329 part-time workers. For more information, visit Scottsdale's website
In the center of the Valley of the Sun, Tempe covers approximately 40 square miles and is home to more than 161,000 residents and a workforce of more than 150,000 working for a wide range of employers, including Insight Computers, Arizona State University, Wells Fargo, Edward Jones and US Airways, as well as an eclectic mix of small and locally-owned businesses. While enjoying dynamic growth, the city has maintained its unique personality and style through a careful and masterful blending of the new with the old. Respecting its heritage and energetically planning for the future, Tempe is a wonderful mix of history and modern urban amenities.
 Tempe got its start in 1865 after the establishment of Fort McDowell allowed for new towns to be built farther down the Salt River. The settlement known as "Hayden's Ferry," named after Charles T. Hayden's ferry service, later adopted the name Tempe at the suggestion of pioneer Darrell Duppa, who compared the area to the Vale of Tempe near Greece's Mount Olympus. Tempe became an economic hub for the surrounding agricultural area, incorporating in 1894.
Tempe is home to Arizona State University and Tempe Town Lake - one of the most popular destinations in the state, second only to the Grand Canyon, and is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's spring training home. Downtown Tempe offers the original walkable urban downtown district, representing a destination for the independently spirited, a hub for entertainment, and an attractive market for entrepreneurial business. Tempe is among Arizona's most educated cities. With more than a dozen colleges, trade schools and universities, over 40 percent of our residents over the age of 25 have Bachelor's degrees or above. This lends itself to a creative, smart atmosphere where anything seems possible. People and businesses in Tempe have worked on projects including the Mars Rover, implanted heart defibrulators, solar energy and much more. Our core industries include: finance, insurance, real estate, high technology, manufacturing, retail and tourism. For more information, visit Tempe's website |
Tempe has a distinct identity as an emerging destination city, with all the offerings of a community rich in economics, technology, culture, tourism and educational resources. Tempe offers a blend of quality new developments, revitalization and redevelopment, prestigious institutions and celebrated traditions. Tempe brings it all together - bright Arizona sun, rewarding places to work, diverse cultures, a myriad of recreational opportunities, the best in entertainment and an eclectic vibe that is uniquely Tempe.