PHOENIX — Phoenix is asking residents and businesses to cut water use as the city prepares to enter Stage 2 of its Drought Management Plan in January, according to a Nov. 10 city news release reported by FOX 10 and Arizona’s Family.
The city said it is preparing for significant reductions in Colorado River deliveries and will rely more heavily on backup supplies, while customers “can continue to expect safe, reliable water service.”
Phoenix’s plan asks businesses and residents for a voluntary 5% reduction in water use and directs city departments to cut their own use by 10%, according to the release.
Under a declared Stage 2, the city would charge a temporary surcharge of $2.10 for each unit of water used above monthly thresholds set for each customer class. One unit equals 748 gallons. Based on current usage, the city estimated the surcharge would affect about 16% of residential monthly bills, 7% of commercial bills and 1% of industrial bills.
Early modeling projects the surcharge would raise about $40 million for conservation and new water supplies, FOX 10 reported. Stage 2 would also expand free water-efficiency consultations and increase conservation incentives.
“The cuts from the federal government require us to take further action,” Mayor Kate Gallego said in the release. “Phoenix is stepping up its own conservation efforts, and we’re asking residents and businesses to join us.”
Phoenix has been under a Stage 1 Water Alert since June 2022. Under new federal guidelines, Colorado River deliveries to Lower Basin states will drop by 1.25 million acre-feet in 2027 and 2028, and a proposed sharing agreement assigns 760,000 acre-feet of those cuts to Arizona, according to the city.
The river supplies about 40% of Phoenix’s drinking water, and the city faces a potential 30% drop in those deliveries, officials said.
The city recommends fixing leaks, adjusting irrigation to the weather, replacing unused grass with desert landscaping and installing water-efficient fixtures.
Sources: FOX 10 Phoenix, Arizona’s Family. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Charles O'Rear / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
