Rio Verde Foothills residents have a new source of water

Rio Verde Foothills residents have a new short-term water agreement. We welcomed Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin to tell us more.

The Scottsdale City Council unanimously approved the new water agreement after the community was left without a reliable source of water in January.

The agreement looks almost identical to one that Scottsdale officials pitched in February to county supervisors, who rejected it.

“A year ago, I was advocating for what I considered to be a much more streamlined, elegant solution where the city of Scottsdale would work directly with the private water company, Epcor. That didn’t happen,” Galvin said.

City officials cited concerns about ongoing drought conditions on the Colorado River. Under the deal’s terms, the community’s standpipe district will procure water for Rio Verde Foothills residents from a third party and pay Scottsdale to treat it and route it through its pipes.

The legislation establishing the standpipe district includes a provision allowing it to serve a maximum of 750 households. Ultimately, residences that received water from Scottsdale prior to the January shutoff will be prioritized.