NE Valley Times

The Scottsdale City Council has approved a water exchange partnership with the city of Tucson. This agreement, sanctioned on August 21, will enable Scottsdale to trade up to 5,000 acre-feet of its Central Arizona Project (CAP) water annually for credits redeemable during shortages.

Under this arrangement, Scottsdale will store part of its CAP water at Tucson's storage and recovery facility, thereby earning long-term storage credits. Tucson can then utilize this physical water as needed within its jurisdiction. In return, Scottsdale will access a portion of Tucson’s CAP supply directly from the canal for local use.

Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega stated, “Interjurisdictional, proactive measures like this benefit Scottsdale residents and show the state that local municipalities are taking forward-thinking action to make sure our communities have water for decades to come."

This collaboration stems from a need to enhance efficient water resource management between cities. Tucson is engaging in similar agreements with other Valley cities. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero commented, “As a leader in water conservation and management throughout the country, Tucson is helping support Arizona cities build their own water resilience.” She further expressed pride in aiding Scottsdale and Mayor Ortega in protecting their vital water resources through this exchange agreement.

Scottsdale Water is actively working on improving both conservation efforts and infrastructure planning to prepare for future uncertainties regarding the Colorado River. Mayor Ortega emphasized the importance of innovative solutions like this one for sustaining water resources amid ongoing drought conditions.

The council's approval grants Scottsdale Water’s executive director authority to finalize an intergovernmental agreement with Tucson promptly. The Tucson Council had already approved their part earlier this month. Both cities aim to sign the agreement by August's end and commence storing water by September.