Scottsdale rate hikes announced ahead of mayor's town hall

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Published  May 27, 2026 5:31 PM MST
FOX 10 Phoenix
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Scottsdale long-term water challenges

The Brief

    • Scottsdale residents face upcoming utility rate increases following a city council vote to raise sewer rates by 3.5% on July 1 and water rates by 4.5% on Nov. 1.
    • Mayor Lisa Borowsky will host a town hall meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Granite Reef Senior Center to discuss the long-term water challenges facing the city.
    • Arizona State University water law professor Rhett Larson will join the meeting to explain that while Scottsdale is not running out of water, cuts to the Colorado River supply will make future water solutions expensive.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Community members have a chance to get questions answered about Scottsdale's long-term water future.

What we know:

Scottsdale’s mayor will host a town hall tonight at 5:30 p.m. where people will have the opportunity to learn more about the water challenges facing the city.

The city council voted last week to increase the rates for residents, and this meeting will help explain why. Experts say the good news is that Scottsdale is not going to run out of water — but no viable solution will be cheap.

Why you should care:

"The supply of water is going down, and the demand is going up, which makes water more expensive," Rhett Larson said.

Larson, a professor of water law at the ASU Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, says the city receives about 70% of its overall water supply from the Colorado River, which is an increasingly uncertain source given the negotiations between the states that share it.

"There's almost no future that doesn't involve cuts to the Colorado River, cuts that will be significant to cities that have relied on the Colorado River," Larson said. "Everyone needs to plan for those reductions, and those reductions are going to be expensive. We are not running out of water, but we are running out of cheap water."

‘Really understandable questions’

To afford those solutions, Scottsdale City Council members voted to increase residents’ water and sewer rates by year's end.

"There are really understandable questions and concerns from citizens," Larson said.

Larson will join Mayor Lisa Borowsky at 5:30 p.m. for tonight's town hall at the Granite Reef Senior Center to explain the Colorado River situation and potential impacts to the city. Neighbors will ask questions and provide feedback about the city’s long-term water future.

What you can do:

Larson says the best way to save money on water bills is to reduce the amount used outdoors, because that is where the majority goes.

To stay up to date on rates and fees from the City of Scottsdale, click here.

The Source

  • FOX 10's Taylor Wirtz reported on the story by speaking with Rhett Larson of ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.

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