ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

HB 2561: city water provider; requirements; service

Sponsor: Representative Kolodin, LD 3

Committee on Natural Resources, Energy & Water

Overview

Directs a municipality to provide water service through a standpipe until 2026 to up to 750 households that lack access to sufficient water if those households had previously received water service from the municipality, the municipality is reimbursed for providing water service and providing this water does not reduce water available to the municipality or the households.

History

In response to a declared shortage on the Colorado River, the City of Scottsdale ceased providing water for hauling to Rio Verde Foothills in 2023. This unincorporated community borders the City of Scottsdale and contains about 2,000 households. Most residents use wells for a domestic water source, but approximately 500-700 households depend on the delivery of hauled water. One source of hauled water was a filling station operated by the City of Scottsdale, which provided about 117 acre-feet of water to Rio Verde Foothills annually.

In August 2021, the Bureau of Reclamation declared a Tier 1 shortage on the Colorado River. The City of Scottsdale's Drought Management Plan required that when a Tier 1 shortage occurred, any water hauling operations would cease unless the customer could prove the hauled water was being directly supplied to a resident or business within the city's limits. In August 2022, the City of Scottsdale notified all water hauling customers that water service would cease on January 1, 2023 unless the customer could prove the hauled water was used within the city's limits. The City of Scottsdale terminated water service on January 1, 2023.

Provisions

1. Directs a municipality that provides water service to provide this service through a standpipe for water hauling to those who reside outside the municipality's water service area and who do not have access to sufficient water if all the following criteria apply:

a) Less than 750 households will be served;

b) The municipality previously provided water service to those who do not have access to sufficient water;

c) There is no other source of water within 10 miles of the affected households;

d) The municipality will be reimbursed for the costs of providing and delivering the water; and

e) Providing the water at the standpipe does not reduce the amount of water available to households within the municipality's water service area or to households outside the service area with whom the municipality has contracted to provide water. (Sec. 1)

2. Repeals the above requirements on December 31, 2025. (Sec. 2)

3. Contains an emergency clause. (Sec. 3)

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7. HB 2561

8. Initials PAB Page 0 Natural Resources, Energy & Water

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