The House of Representatives voted against HB2561 — a short-term solution for Rio Verde Foothills. It involved an agreement being made between Scottsdale and Maricopa County, but that isn't so easy.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors rejected the agreement earlier this month, part of the reason why it was now rejected by lawmakers.
"There's 700 homes that need water in Rio Verde Foothills and I mean, how could someone say no to that?" said Cody Reim a Rio Verde Foothills resident.
Reim spoke with ABC15 from his truck on his way to haul his own water since he can't afford to have it delivered.
"I have to drive to Apache Junction, or my friend's house in a nearby town, and fill up with a garden hose," said Reim.
He does that several times a week to support his family of six, even with their strict conservation efforts. This comes more than two months after Rio Verde Foothills lost its water source.
"It's gonna be very dangerous here this summer," says Reim.
House Bill 2561 would require a city to provide water to residents outside its service area if they don't have access to sufficient water, doing that through an agreement with the county.
Scottsdale had proposed an agreement in which it would buy water from a third-party source, treat it and sell to Maricopa County. In turn, the county would handle billing and distribution to Rio Verde Foothills residents.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors rejected the proposal, citing Scottsdale never identified a water source, increased water costs and limited the amount of water that could be used.
House Democrats are urging stakeholders to keep working on a negotiated solution to restore water. A meeting is set to happen next week.
Representative David Cook said, "We now will move towards legislation that can address the situation for these people. Their continued suffering is a result of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and their 'lack of action.'"
As for Reim, he agrees with Maricopa County's concerns and is holding on to the hope they will have water before triple digits arrive.
"But, we are preparing for the event that that happens, and it may mean that we can't live in our home through the summer," said Reim.
