PHOENIX — It's been two months since Governor Katie Hobbs signed legislation aimed at restoring water to the Rio Verde Foothills.
"We have water, it's just expensive to get. So, we conserve as much as we can," said Rio Verde Foothills resident Kent Thomas.
The City of Scottsdale after many warnings, shut off access in January and Rio Verde Foothills has not had a reliable source of water.
On Tuesday, Thomas joined some of his neighbors as guests of the Governor to witness her ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 1432.
"Arizona has long been a steward for smart and responsible water management and this bill is a continuation of that legacy," Governor Hobbs said.
Senate Bill 1432 created a citizen-led district that is now working to secure contracts with Scottsdale, utility company EPCOR and water haulers to set up short-term and ultimately long-term solutions.
"So as far as costs, we don't have any costs yet. So, everybody knows there is a lot of costs that go into this," said Meredith DeAngeliss, a Rio Verde Foothills resident who also serves as the chair for the Rio Verde Foothills Standpipe District Board.
DeAngeliss believes the agreements with Scottsdale, EPCOR and the water haulers will be signed within 30 days. Once that happens, she believes residents will pay much less than what they are paying now to get water hauled to their homes. But securing the water for Rio Verde Foothills is not the end, it's only the beginning.
There are communities across the state which have been able to circumvent Arizona's 100-year guarantee of water law because of their size, allowing residents to build homes without an assured water supply.
"What everyone's done now to get this bill is start asking those questions on how many people are on hauled water. What does that look like? How much water is that? Is it going to the right places," said DeAngeliss.
These are questions the Governor and members of the legislature hope to have by January when lawmakers are back in session. "We need to remember what is not political," State Senator Justine Wadsack, the author SB 1432 said. "When it comes to access to water in our state, we need to think of the people."
The bill will keep water flowing to the Rio Verde Foothills subdivision for at least three years under terms of an agreement and a new government entity — called a standpipe district — that can enter into deals to help Rio Verde Foothills get water.
