Gov. Hobbs Signs Bill Ending Arizona Town's Battle for Water

NEAR SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A rural Arizona town's battle for water has captured national and global attention.

Now, it appears the pleas for help have been answered as Arizona's Governor signed a bill into law on June 19, ending the long-fought battle.

Since Jan. 1, residents in the community of Rio Verde Foothills lost their access to water, after the City of Scottsdale ended their water hauling service to the area. Since residents there lost their access to water, they have been waging a battle to have their water supply restored.

Here's what you should know about the situation, and how the town got there.

Why did Rio Verde residents lose their water supply?

In short, it is a combination of the long-term drought Arizona is experiencing, along with municipal responsibilities (or lack thereof).

We first reported on the area's looming water problems back in 2021, when residents received a notice from the City of Scottsdale, which states that the city's water utility will be restricting water hauling to those living within the city limits, as a result of the city's Drought Management Plan.

According to the city's plan, water hauling operations are required to stop when Scottsdale entered Stage 1 of the plan unless the water hauling customer can indisputably prove that the hauled water is being supplied directly to a Scottsdale resident or a Scottsdale business.

"Rio Verde is a separate community governed by Maricopa County, not the city of Scottsdale," read a portion of a fact sheet published by the City of Scottsdale in regards to the Rio Verde water problem. "Scottsdale has warned and advised that it is not responsible for Rio Verde for many years, especially given the requirements of the city’s mandated drought plan."

Scottsdale warned of a possible cutoff for several years and said it gave Rio Verde Foothills residents and Maricopa County plenty of warning that it wouldn’t provide water forever.

In addition, Scottsdale city officials said since the city has a water recycling program, providing water to Rio Verde Foothills residents also means the city cannot recapture most of that water for recycling.

Is Scottsdale the only city enacting water conservation measures?

No.

In light of current drought conditions, a number of cities in the Phoenix area have enacted water conservation measures.

Some cities, like Mesa, Tempe and Glendale, have set up goals on water use reductions, while other cities, such as Phoenix and Chandler, say they are in a stage of their respective drought management plans that focuses on education.

Read More: Arizona cities enacting measures to help conserve water amid drought: here's what you need to know