Phoenix introduces new roadmap as potential water shortages loom

PHOENIX — City water leaders brought a plan to the City Council on April 28 for the future of the water supply, addressing how the city prepares for looming cuts.

What we know:

Nearly 40% of Phoenix’s drinking water relies on the Colorado River, but with federal cuts looming, city leaders are moving to shore up the supply. 

On Tuesday, water officials presented a proactive new roadmap to the City Council. While Phoenix has been working for years to conserve— storing water underground and making infrastructure investments, a new plan pivots towards the future.

The plan introduces backup strategies and statewide partnerships designed to keep the taps flowing, even as the river shrinks, which water experts say is something the city needs to quickly figure out how to manage.

What they’re saying:

“Things have changed in certain ways. The conditions have worsened,” said Cynthia Campbell of the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative. “The lack of progress on the negotiations from the seven-state basin, which really have kept the cities in a perpetual holding pattern for almost three years. All of those things are getting to the point where there has to be a give. There has to be a decision made on what exactly the shortage levels are going to be for next year and beyond.”