The years-long struggle for a steady water supply in Rio Verde Foothills has finally come to a resolution with the inauguration of a new EPCOR water station on January 1st, providing a much-needed sense of stability to the local residents, following a period of water scarcity due to the City of Scottsdale's drought management strategies and the subsequent cutoff of their water supply to people living outside the city limits.
According to a FOX 10 Phoenix report, roughly 1,400 homes which had to rely on water hauling services every fortnight now have access to water directly through the standpipe, with residents likely to pay a monthly average of $130, at 16 cents per gallon of water, in addition to a $75 monthly service fee; however, the overall cost for water hauling services is yet to be decided by the private hauling companies, burdening the community who finds relief mixed with concern over impending expenses.
Since Scottsdale decided to secure its own water supply by restricting access to the residents within city limits, people like Leigh Harris, as documented in a 12 News interview, have endured significant adjustments and expenses to ensure water availability, including, but not limited to, showering at gyms and installing costly water purification and storage systems.
Damon Bruns, owner of Dynamite Water, reflected the community's sentiments by expressing relief at having a permanent water source yet remains apprehensive about the ongoing costs, EPCOR itself has yet to finalize the project costs and the rates are subject to adjustments after review by the Arizona Corporation Commission, this means that the residents, who've just had their immediate water concerns alleviated, are now faced with the uncertainty of future rates—an improvement from their previous predicament but still a source of anxiety regarding affordability and sustainability of their newfound water security.
Despite the significant progress for Rio Verde Foothills in securing this essential resource, the struggle takes on a new face as residents juggle the value of home stability against the tangible pressure of financial constraints, underscoring that the journey for a permanent and affordable water supply is far from over.
