Arizona passes bill to restore water to town.

Arizona Legislature Passes Bill to Solve Water Crisis in Small Town

“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 Rio Verde Foothills, a small unincorporated town in Arizona, made headlines earlier this year when the city of Scottsdale announced that it would no longer be providing water for the town. With a population of 1,000 people and 500-700 homes, the situation highlighted wider issues with water access that the western United States is experiencing, which has continued to worsen amid droughts.

However, the Arizona legislature has taken action to rectify the problem by passing Senate Bill 1432 in a bipartisan supermajority vote in both chambers. The bill aims to restore water access to the town and will now go to Gov. Katie Hobbs’s (D-AZ) desk to sign.

Restoring Water Access

The bill 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 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,” said Sen. Kavanagh.

Dispelling False Rumors

Sen. Kavanagh also hopes that the bill will dispel the false rumor that Arizona is running out of water, which can harm the state’s economy development and future prosperity. 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. With the passing of this bill, the people of Rio Verde can finally have access to clean water and a more secure future.

• Restores water access to small town in Arizona
• Passed in bipartisan supermajority vote in both chambers
• Scottsdale will provide water through EPCOR private water company
• Standpipe will be built for Rio Verde to become independent from Scottsdale’s water supply
• Dispels false rumors about Arizona running out of water