Eye on Buckeye | March 2023 | Buckeye's Water Management

on Buckeye

the official publication of the city of Buckeye March 2022

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CITY OF

All things Water

This month’s edition is dedicated to all things water in Buckeye. How our current water supply is managed, how we are planning for the future, what makes up the costs of water and how you can partner with us to conserve this precious resource.

Historically, Arizona’s naturally arid climate and limited water supply has prompted local and national news stories to question the state’s ability to provide water to its residents and businesses. Recently, these stories have become more focused on specific cities and towns in Arizona, specifically Buckeye. We are frequently asked to provide the city’s perspective for these stories, ensuring we are and will continue to manage our water supplies in a sustainable manner.

Earlier this year, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) released the Hassayampa Sub-basin Groundwater Model. The report indicates that the Hassayampa sub-basin, which is located almost entirely in Buckeye, will be 15-percent short of the amount of water that will be needed to meet the 100-year Assured Water Supply (AWS)

Program requirement for new development in Arizona.

This means current customers and developments that have already received a Certificate of Assured Water Supply (CAWS), have plenty of water for their use. For future developments, specifically located in the Hassayampa Sub-basin, additional water sources will need to be identified for ADWR to issue a CAWS.

Buckeye’s Water Resources Department is responsible for using the water rights afforded to it through the AWS Program to pump, treat and deliver safe drinking water to our customers. For Buckeye to meet these goals, the Water Resource Department is taking an active role in working with ADWR to gain a better understanding of the recently released model. This includes how the model was developed, how Buckeye can work with ADWR to show them how we manage our water supplies and our plans for the future.

The department will also work closely with future development groups to establish plans that meet Buckeye’s economic goals while efficiently managing current and future water supplies.

For more information on this publication, contact John O’Halloran at johalloran@buckeyeaz.gov or call 623.349.6976

BUCKEYE CITY COUNCIL

Eric Orsborn, Mayor

Michelle Hess, Vice Mayor, District 3

Tony Youngker, District 1

Jeanine Guy, District 2

Patrick HagEstad, District 4

Craig Heustis, District 5

Clay Goodman, District 6

History of Water Management in Arizona

Before 1980, groundwater was the primary source of water for agriculture, cities and towns throughout Arizona, especially if you were not part of the Salt River Project irrigation system. Our state leaders knew the continual mining of groundwater was not a sustainable practice for the life and growth of Arizona.

With land settling and subsidence threatening existing development, those leaders determined that for more heavily populated areas of growth, the reliance on groundwater had to be curtailed. The construction of the Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal was the major initiative to develop from this effort. In 1980, the Arizona Groundwater Management Act (GMA) was placed into law and the Assured Water Supply (AWS) Program was established.

The AWS Program requires residential developments to demonstrate it has a supply of water to support the development and will be “physically, legally, and

continuously available for the next 100 years”. The 1980 GMA established the Arizona Active Management Areas (AMAs) and generally exist in the most populated portions of the state, and where water is more closely regulated and managed. The Phoenix Metro area is one of the five AMAs.

This means that a utility, like Buckeye, that uses groundwater as its primary source, must offset it by recharging the groundwater supply with a renewable source. As a water utility, Buckeye is considered a non-designated water provider because we require developments to establish that water is available for our customers from groundwater. This arrangement is complicated and requires the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD) to replenish the groundwater supply, not the city. CAGRD receives funds to acquire and recharge the groundwater from you, Buckeye residents, in non-designated areas.

The 1980 GMA also requires that a renewable supply of water be used to meet demand, rather than groundwater. A renewable supply of water is defined as water that comes from a source such as rivers and streams, reclaimed water (also known as effluent) or water from outside of the AMAs.

If Buckeye were to pursue being a designated water provider, we would be responsible for recharging the groundwater supply, and show ADWR we comply with the 1980 GMA by delivering 100-percent of its our water instead of its water from renewable sources. To meet these obligations, Buckeye would have to grow, enhance and diversify our water portfolio.

“Whiskey is for drinking; Water is for fighting.”

- Mark Twain

Roosevelt Irrigation District Agua Fria River Crossing March 1928

Buckeye’s Water Portfolio

2022 Buckeye Water Stats

Provided water to approximately 29,000 customers

Recharged nearly 2,500 acre-feet of reclaimed water back into the ground Operated

Similar to a financial portfolio made up of many stocks and bonds, a water portfolio is made up of assets specific to presenting one’s right to water. The portfolio is used to show that a utility has enough water rights to support customer demand.

impact our water supply if drought conditions worsen.

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Because Buckeye is a non-designated water provider who relies primarily on groundwater and our replenishment obligation is handled by another governmental agency, the need for a robust and diversified water portfolio was not a necessity until now. Due to the drought, Buckeye now needs to have access to more water from many sources.

Currently, Buckeye has an annual allocation of Colorado River Water, a renewable supply, of approximately 2,786 acre-feet (907 million gallons) per year. However, since the Colorado River is operating in drought conditions and cutbacks implemented, this could

Each year, Buckeye recharges approximately 2,500 acre-feet of reclaimed water. As we grow, more reclaimed water will be produced. This allows us to recharge more back into the aquifer or use it to offset groundwater pumping by providing an irrigation source to large non-potable water users, such as schools or HOAs.

In February of 2023, the Buckeye City Council approved a purchase agreement for one-acre of land in the Harquahala Valley. The land comes with a water right equivalent to an allocation of 5,925 acre-feet (1.9 billion gallons) of water per year for the next 100 years.

These allocations are very important to Buckeye, but they are only a fraction of the total amount of water that is needed to support Buckeye when we are fully built out. Currently, we are only 13-percent built out.

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1 acre-foot of water equals 325,851 gallons. This is enough water to supply three residential homes for a year.

1 acre of agricultural land uses 4x more water than four homes located on the same acre of land.

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Buckeye delivered over 10,000 acre-feet of water in 2022

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Planning for the Future

All existing homes and businesses in Buckeye have 100-year CAWS issued to them by ADWR. The results of the ADWR study do not impact the security of these developments or any under development. Instead, it will impact how the state, city and developers approach planning for future businesses and homes. Buckeye cannot control the availability of groundwater, but we have started searching for ways to grow and diversify our water portfolio and decrease our reliance on groundwater.

Over the next few years, Buckeye will be pursuing the following initiatives:

ADOPTING CITYWIDE WATER MANAGEMENT POLICIES

These policies will establish a framework focused on the major facets of operating and maintaining a sustainable water business for the city such as the use of reclaimed water, water purchases and others.

BECOME A DESIGNATED WATER PROVIDER

Buckeye’s Water Resource Department is actively evaluating the establishment of a Designation of Assured

Water Supply (DAWS) in all or part of the city’s water service area. This will assist in giving Buckeye better control of how we develop.

MASTER PLANS

Our current Water Resources Master Plan was adopted by Council in 2020. It outlines potential opportunities available to Buckeye and best practices to acquire additional water supplies. We are working on the five-year update to our Integrated Water Master Plan (IWMP) which expands on the 2020 plan and updates the infrastructure layout of the city. City staff are working with industry experts to create other critical guiding documents including:

• Water Conservation Plan

• Drought Management Plan

• New Water Conservation Codes

GROW WATER PORTFOLIO

In addition to our current assets, the city is also evaluating several opportunities that could strengthen and grow our portfolio such as:

• Securing strategic partnerships with other agencies with access to water within the city, such as the irrigation districts

• Establishing partnerships with other municipalities with similar water interests and goals

• Treating currently unusable groundwater from the Buckeye Waterlogged Area

• Expanding the use of effluent water for landscape irrigation, reducing the need for new water supplies of outdoor use

• Participating in the Bartlett Dam Project that could allocate a renewable supply of water for Buckeye

• Purchasing or leasing Colorado River water from others not currently using their allocations, such as smaller communities, private owners and Native American Tribes

The Cost of Water

It’s tempting to compare your water bill to one from another city or water provider, however, this is not a fair comparison. Every water provider in Arizona has a unique water portfolio that requires different management. Some cities have significant rights to the Salt, Verde and/or Colorado rivers, while cities like Buckeye rely mostly on groundwater, impacting the cost of how water is treated before it is delivered.

Depending on where you live in Buckeye, there are three different water providers. Buckeye Water Resources, EPCOR Water and Arizona Water Company. While their approach to the delivery of water to customers is similar, each of these organizations faces different challenges to refine the raw water into a safe, reliable product. These challenges are reflected in the rates they charge their customers.

Buckeye’s biggest cost challenge lies in our source water. While groundwater is readily available in the central part of the city, the ability to pump the water from the ground is challenging and the cost to bring it up to drinking water standards is high.

Identifying good quality locations, pumping the groundwater, water treatment and effectively maintaining the assets responsible for these functions are where a large percentage of the costs reside.

How Buckeye gets Water

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First, we pump the water out of the ground through many wells.

That water then goes through a highly sensitive treatment process that includes removal of naturally occurring elements, which are captured in filters and disposed of following regulatory guidelines.

Next is the storage and delivery of water and the proper operation and maintenance of this infrastructure.

Treated water is stored in large reservoirs and moved through the city using booster stations, pressure reducing valves (PRV) and other infrastructure to ensure proper volumes and pressures are met for industry standards and fire protection requirements.

All of this equipment is monitored and maintained by city staff and advanced technology 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When a piece of equipment is out of order, staff works quickly and diligently behind the scenes to ensure service is not interrupted.

The most important assets the city has and the key to our success, are our dedicated employees. In the past few months, the department director updated its business structure to focus on streamlining operation efficiencies, asset management and empowering employees. In addition, we have contracted with many industry professionals to provide support for important initiatives.

These steps have improved business processes and gives the city a fresh take on tackling water management, improving resources and leveraging assets for the ultimate benefit of Buckeye.

Deep beneath the Jackie A. Meck Water Treatment Facility lie large water storage chambers that can hold up to 4 million gallons of water for the city.

Conserving Water

Living in the desert requires a different way of thinking when it comes to water use. On average, more than 60-percent of water used in homes is for watering outdoors. Watering our landscaping conservatively requires making only minor changes in our routines to utilize water efficiently and reduce the amount of water needed.

Buckeye’s Water Resources Department has a number of ways to help you conserve water and save you money each month.

• Rebates for Smart Irrigation Controllers and Turf Removal

• Advanced Customer Service portal to monitor your monthly water use online

• You can also pay your bill and create alerts if your water use gets too high

• Tips on how to check for leaks and repair them

• Links to resources from our partners at Water Use it Wisely on how to water efficiently in the desert

Get all the information you need at buckeyeaz.gov/waterconservation

“...more than 60% of water used in homes is for watering outdoors.”