Arizona's state legislature passed a bill that aims to solve a water crisis in a small unincorporated town, where water was cut off earlier this year.
The Rio Verde Foothills, a town of 1,000 people and 500-700 homes, made headlines in January when the city of Scottsdale announced that it would no longer be providing water for the town. The situation highlighted wider issues with water access the western United States is experiencing, which has continued to worsen amid droughts.
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The Arizona legislature has sought to rectify the problem by passing a bill that will restore water access to the town, which was passed in a bipartisan supermajority vote in both chambers. The bill will now go to Gov. Katie Hobbs's (D-AZ) desk to sign.
Senate Bill 1432 will restore water access through Scottsdale, which agreed to provide water through the EPCOR private water company if the government serves as the go-between, the Arizona Daily Independent reported. The solution will be in place for roughly two years as EPCOR builds a standpipe for Rio Verde itself, which will allow it to become independent from Scottsdale's water supply.
“The people of the Rio Verde Foothills can sleep more soundly this evening knowing that the bill to provide them water until a private company sets up a permanent supply passed out of the legislature and will probably be signed by the governor,” Republican state Sen. John Kavanagh said. “The journey to passage was complicated, twisting, and fraught with disappointment. But in the end, a reasonable bill was passed. It gives the people of the Rio Verde Foothills water and contains all of the assurances and protections that the City of Scottsdale requested.”
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“Hopefully, the bill will also dispel the false rumor that Arizona is running out of water, a rumor that can harm our economy development (sic) and future prosperity,” he added.
Since January, residents of Rio Verde have had to resort to flushing toilets with rainwater, doing laundry at neighbors' homes, and lugging water from far away distances.