On Tuesday, the Phoenix City Council is set to wade into one of the biggest long-term questions facing the city: how shifting federal rules on the Colorado River could affect Phoenix’s water supply and demand once current guidelines expire. The policy session comes as regional managers and federal agencies float options that could significantly change how much Colorado River water reaches Arizona in the years ahead.
How to Watch
The council’s policy session is scheduled for 2:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday in City Council Chambers and will air on Phoenix Channel 11 and stream online. According to the City of Phoenix, agendas are posted at least 24 hours before meetings and the live stream is available on phoenix.gov.
Why the Session Matters
Federal officials released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement this year that lays out several alternatives for operating Lake Powell and Lake Mead after 2026, including scenarios that could substantially change deliveries to the Lower Basin. The document and its modeling are intended to guide operations beginning Oct. 1, 2026, and formed the basis of a public review process earlier this year, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.
Regional water managers are not exactly relaxed about it. The Central Arizona Project has warned that the EIS alternatives, especially the so-called “no deal” scenario, could be “a crushing blow to Central Arizona’s water supply” and has urged negotiated solutions, while local coverage has documented concern about deep cuts to deliveries. See statements from the Central Arizona Project and reporting from KJZZ.
What Phoenix Is Doing
Phoenix’s most recent consumer water materials note that about 97 to 99 percent of the city’s supply comes from surface sources, primarily the Salt, Verde and Colorado rivers, with Colorado River deliveries arriving via the Central Arizona Project aqueduct. That local context is laid out in the City of Phoenix water report.
To ease dependence on imported river water, city leaders have been pushing water augmentation projects and studying advanced treated-water reuse. The Water Education Foundation reports that Phoenix has committed local funding to retrofit the Cave Creek reclamation plant and is exploring larger regional purification projects as part of a broader strategy to diversify supplies.
What Residents Should Know
This week’s policy session is focused on planning, oversight and public input, not flipping anyone’s tap off overnight. Still, the ongoing federal process and any future agreements could influence long-term water supply, infrastructure spending and rates. Residents can tune in to the council’s discussion to hear whether local leaders recommend new conservation measures, reuse projects or budget moves in response to the evolving post-2026 landscape.
