Rio Verde Foothills: Water supply woes end as new water station opens

Facility restores water for Rio Verde Foothills

It has been years since residents in the Rio Verde Foothills area battled a water supply crisis, and to kick off 2026, a new water facility has opened to serve residents in the area. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach reports.

RIO VERDE, Ariz. - After a years-long water crisis for residents in Rio Verde Foothills, the fight to secure a permanent solution has come to an end as a brand-new EPCOR water station opened on Jan. 1.

The backstory:

For years, some Rio Verde Foothills residents used a water hauling service that delivers water twice a month, with residents paying per gallon.

Back in 2021, area residents received a notice from the City of Scottsdale, stating that Scottsdale Water will restrict water hauling to only residents within city limits as a result of a water supply shortage and the resultant Stage One activation of the city's drought management plan.

While many of the properties in the area have well water, some 500 homes relied on the Scottsdale water. According to a memo published by Scottsdale city officials in December 2022, the city provided approximately 117 acre-feet of water to the Rio Verde Foothills area annually, which translates to over 38 million gallons of water.

Water supplies were subsequently shut on Jan. 1, 2023. While there was an effort to start a new Domestic Water Improvement District for the area, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted against it in August 2022.

What's Happening Now:

After years of uncertainty, a brand-new EPCOR standpipe was completed in six months.

The company's Vice President of Developer Services, Frank Metzler, said residents who use an average amount of water should expect to pay $130 a month. That is 16 cents per gallon of water, plus a $75 monthly fee. Paying the water hauler is decided by the hauling company.

"1,400 homes. 1,400 families who didn't know whether or not they had a reliable source of water, and it's a great feeling to know that it's been addressed," Metzler said. "We have a solution in place, and we're open for business."

Local perspective:

Residents are relieved, but apprehensive about the bill.

"Yeah, there's excitement, but you know, there's trepidation also," said Amy Schugar.

"I'm cautiously optimistic right now. I'm happy to have it. Concerned about the cost, because we're still not sure," said Wendy Ashland. "I have livestock. So I have a concern about the cost of having water for them."