This year, Arizona lawmakers have introduced over 90 water bills, far surpassing the number seen in previous legislative sessions. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these bills would chip away at...
Last June, the Arizona Department of Water Resources released the updated Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) Groundwater Model. Its projections showed a groundwater deficit over the next 100...
Whether from reading the news, paying your water bill, or doing some research before buying a home, you have probably heard the term “water service areas.” Even if you have not, service...
On February 14th, Arizona celebrates its 112th birthday, which is the perfect opportunity to appreciate where we live and embrace our state's diversity in landscape and weather, as well as how...
We can live in the middle of the desert because we continually plan and invest to ensure safe, reliable, and sustainable water supplies for today and the future. By investing in and protecting...
The Phoenix metropolitan area is blessed with surface water made available through canals operated by the Salt River Project, and both the Phoenix and Tucson regions are fortunate to receive water...
The AMWUA Blog recently hit a significant milestone – our 500th edition. Since 2014, we have aimed to take the mystery out of complex water issues by providing valuable facts, numbers, or...
Arizona is confronting water challenges but now is not the time to undermine the 100-year Assured Water Supply Program that has allowed our communities and economy to thrive here in the desert. As...
Headlines continue to draw attention to Arizona's groundwater issues, from putting on hold new subdivisions in Maricopa County that rely solely on groundwater to declining groundwater levels in...
Since the release of the Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) Groundwater Model, attention to its findings has grown to include claims that we do not have enough water, which will stop or seriously...
Despite the impression given by some stories in the national media, the ten AMWUA cities have diverse water portfolios and can meet the demands of their residents and businesses not just for today...
The recently released Phoenix AMA Groundwater Model has generated much attention and conversation. While it's an important step forward to continue our long history of securing and...
With so much focus on the Colorado River, it is critical that we continue to protect and find ways to improve the management of our groundwater supply. Arizona has a proud history of taking...
Our beloved state recently celebrated its 111th birthday. While challenges come with our desert climate, it's important to pause and appreciate where we live and embrace our state's...
The international organization Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) has ranked Arizona third in the nation and second in the Colorado River Basin for advancing water efficiency and conservation...
Many headlines claim that Arizona is running out of water. While some specific areas within our state are facing challenges, such as wells running dry or aquifers not being able to sustain new...
As the new legislative session begins, Governor Hobbs has made water a priority. In her State of the State address, she boldly shined a spotlight on Arizona's water challenges and encouraged...
As the attention to water continues to intensify, the spotlight on conservation efforts grows. Some question what Arizona and municipal water providers are doing regarding water conservation,...
As we confront a future with less Colorado River water, we are reminded about the importance of another critical water supply – groundwater. Both Colorado River water and groundwater have a...
With the 2022 legislative session now underway, state legislators will be considering various proposals to address water challenges. The importance of water has been elevated with the uncertainty...
Arizona’s water story will become more complex as we head into a Colorado River Tier 1 Shortage in 2022. To offer insight into what the Colorado River Shortage means for Arizona,...
This month the AMWUA Blog hits another milestone – our 400th edition. Since March 2014, we have aimed to take the mystery out of complex issues about water management, water policy, and water...
Since its inception, Scottsdale Water’s vision has been to build water sustainability through stewardship, innovation, and people. Now 50 years later, they continue to achieve that. In...
A Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage will happen in 2022, which will result in an estimated 30% reduction to Colorado River supplies delivered by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) in Maricopa, Pinal,...
Yes, we are heading into a Tier 1 Colorado River shortage in 2022. Still, it’s important to remember that the AMWUA cities utilize more than Colorado River water, which represents only a...
The marathon, six-month 2021 legislative session officially concluded after over 1,700 pieces of legislation were introduced. As always, water was a prominent topic, with more than 60 individual...
As another anniversary of the 1980 Groundwater Management Act (GMA) passes, the importance of protecting our groundwater remains the same. We recognize that the GMA was a monumental piece of...
We can live in the desert because we understand the significance of water conservation and efficiency as a necessity and not a temporary reaction. Arizona has always been an arid State, and...
Arizona's water management successes over the last 40 years are due to the willingness of its stakeholders to face challenges, make difficult discussions, and develop strategies and policies to...
Collaboration among the AMWUA cities results in efficiency and strong water management for the common purpose of safeguarding water supplies in the Valley. The AMWUA cities are ultimately...
Over a month into the 2021 legislative session, Arizona’s lawmakers have introduced a record number of bills – more than 1,700. Included in those bills is legislation proposed by AMWUA...
Arizona celebrated its 109th birthday on Valentine's Day, which created the perfect opportunity to appreciate where we live, and embrace our State's diversity in landscape and weather....
The first notable winter storms brought much-needed moisture across the State, providing a short-term boost to our vegetation and adding some water to local reservoirs. While precipitation in our...
To ensure we have water not only today, but for the long-term, our diligence and work never ends, and 2021 will certainly be no exception. While we know the Colorado River will receive much...
As we look forward to a new year, we all hope it will bring more certainty than what we encountered in 2020. Despite a pandemic and the challenges we faced this past year, the AMWUA municipalities...
In 1980, after decades of severe groundwater declines, State leaders took decisive action when they implemented a regulatory framework to decrease our dependence on groundwater in Arizona's...
The topic of water in Arizona has dominated many headlines as of late, and that is a good thing. That attention means the importance of water is being acknowledged, and valuable conversations are...
We all understand the importance of water in Arizona, but the hydrology, legalities, and water management can be overwhelmingly complicated. So how do we get educated on all the issues and...
Through this two-part series on safe-yield, we will look back at the past, acknowledge how far we have come, and discuss the challenges we still collectively face as we move forward....
Through this two-part series on safe-yield, we will look back at the past, acknowledge how far we have come, and discuss the challenges we still collectively face as we move forward. The...
As the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the 1980 Groundwater Management Act (GMA) wind down, our collective focus now must shift to the future. We know that the GMA was a monumental piece of...
Arizona residents certainly know the value of water. Yet it is easy to forget the complex process and the extensive team of people it takes to get safe and secure water to our tap. And the...
We use water every single day, and that is why it’s important to realize that those daily choices affect our future. With the arrival of April, we celebrate Water Awareness Month, which is...
Life as we know it would be impossible without groundwater. It is the world's most extracted natural resource, and it supports our ecosystems, which is why we can never take groundwater for...
Our State Capitol is once again abuzz with Legislators working hard to pass hundreds of bills with the intent to improve our lives and address issues affecting us. Interest groups of all...
This year we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Groundwater Management Act. Through this three-part series on groundwater, we will look back at the past, acknowledge how far we have come,...
This year we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Groundwater Management Act. Through this three-part series on groundwater, we will look back at the past, acknowledge how far we have come,...
This year we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Groundwater Management Act. Through this three-part series on groundwater, we will look back at the past, acknowledge how far we have come,...
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...
AMWUA and the rest of Arizona’s water community tout the importance of the 1980 Groundwater Management Act, a set of laws that protect groundwater supplies particularly in the most populated...
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...
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...
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...
The 1980 Arizona Groundwater Management Act required water providers to reduce the amount of water used per capita. The dilemma was cities did not have water conservation staff at that time. ...
Arizona demonstrated last month it could protect its Colorado River water and maintain control of its future, when the Governor signed legislation approving the State’s participation in the...
When the mayors of the Cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe and Glendale formed the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association in 1969, AMWUA’s staff consisted solely of the...
John R. (Bob) McCain used his quick wit and creative mind to influence Arizona water policy for more than a quarter of a century. Bob had the deep, home grown sensibilities of many...
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...
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...
The desert cities in Central Arizona have withstood 22 years of ongoing drought without imposing emergency conservation measures, such as those California ordered in 2015. Much of the credit goes...
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...
The aquifers containing groundwater beneath our feet are vital to our way of life. These aquifers help AMWUA cities manage their water supplies in three important ways. First, like the...
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...
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...
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...
This month, former Senator Jon Kyl told a gathering of elected officials and water professionals that Arizona's past water successes had one thing in common: the willingness of competing forces...
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...
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....
Recently, Phoenix announced a water-bottling plant was opening in a vacant warehouse on the city's west side. The plant reportedly will bottle about 35 million gallons of Phoenix tap water a...
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...
Sound long-term water management is vital to ensure that Arizona has a strong economy both in urban and rural parts of the State. This is why the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA)...
February in the Valley of the Sun means spring weather, golf tournaments, rodeos and our State's birthday on Valentine's Day. February also means the State Capitol is abuzz with Legislators...
A great man passed away on January 6, 2016 just shy of his 94th birthday. His name was Wes Steiner. If you weren’t around in the 60’s, 70’s or 80’s, you might not have heard...
"Lead" is a verb. It means to guide, to show the way. Protecting Arizona's water future will require our elected officials to lead us forward the way past generations took charge when...
Arizona desert cities have a distinctive style. There are few other cities where you'll find mesquite and palo verde trees in parks, giant blue agaves and golden barrel cactus in yards,...
AMWUA started its weekly blog posts in March 2014. This is our 83rd message to a growing audience. The AMWUA Blog is designed to explain where the Valley's water comes from, how cities deliver,...
Salt cedar is a bushy, invasive tree that can change the face of a landscape in a dangerous way. Three West Valley cities and Maricopa County are pushing to eradicate as much salt cedar as possible...
Arizona has a reputation for crazy ideas. Sometimes those crazy ideas are just crazy and sometimes they turn into marvels. Take, for example, this crazy idea from 1969: Arizona knew a population...
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...
When it comes to water supplies in this extended drought, there seem to be two Arizonas. Most Arizona cities are reassuring their residents and businesses that water supplies are secure. In other...
Businesses that use an exceptionally high volume of water and want to set up shop in the City of Chandler will have to prove they bring significant benefits to the city, or pay more for their...
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...
Facing unprecedented water shortages, California Gov. Jerry Brown has imposed mandatory urban water use reductions of 25 percent. The Governor's order followed years of low snowpack and runoff...
AMWUA member cities are focused on keeping water flowing in and out of your homes and businesses day in and day out. At AMWUA, we're all about solutions. Always have been. It's our job....
In 1986, the Town of Gilbert began storing treated wastewater in a pond at Cooper and Elliot roads. It did not surprise town officials that the pond attracted birds, but they were surprised by how...
In 1978, swindler Ned Warren was convicted of 20 counts of fraud for selling land in Arizona without access to water. Two years later, the drafters of the 1980 Arizona Groundwater Management Act...
There are many well-known names in Arizona's water history. U.S. Senator Carl Hayden and Congressman John Rhodes delivered the votes in Washington that brought Colorado River water to the...
Last week, California finally took baby steps to manage its decades old problem of landowners drilling wells to pump groundwater whenever and wherever they pleased. The new laws could take up to...
Solving the mystery of Lost and Unaccounted for Water can save a city money and conserve water on a grand scale. Lost and Unaccounted for Water, also known as non-revenue water, is the...
In 2000 the City of Phoenix began digging piles of trash, tires, appliances, and hulks of old cars out of a 5-mile section of the Salt Riverbed that had served as a dump for decades. Today, the Rio...
Baby and facial wipes are one of the new problems for cities' wastewater systems. Just because a product is labeled flushable or disposable doesn't make it immediately biodegradable....
It took until June 12, 1980 for Arizona to decide it was not ok for farmers, cities, developers, and businesses to pump as much groundwater as they wanted,whenever and wherever they needed it. By...
It was a golden era in state politics. Bruce Babbitt was Governor, Stan Turley was President of the Senate, Burton Barr herded the House Republicans, and Alfredo Gutierrez led the Senate Democrats....