City of Scottsdale issued the following annoucement on Aug. 17.
Scottsdale City Manager Jim Thompson officially declared “Stage 1” of the city’s Drought Management Plan on August 17th as a direct result of the Colorado River Tier 1 shortage declared by the Bureau of Reclamation. The Colorado River shortage will take effect January 1st, 2022, with Scottsdale’s “Stage 1” taking effect immediately.
In a Tier 1 shortage, water cuts of the Colorado River will be substantially borne upon central Arizona Agriculture, leaving municipal subcontractors such as Scottsdale largely unaffected. Nevertheless, this marks a momentous point in history for water management in Arizona.
Scottsdale has been preparing for this situation for several decades and has spent millions of dollars to recycle and reuse as much water as possible. While water will continue to be delivered as normal to customers now and into the future, Scottsdale views this declaration as a significant milestone that requires extensive examination by all customers to further use water wisely and efficiently for the long-term viability and sustainability of the city.
Scottsdale’s Drought Management Plan has five stages that increase in severity as water supply amounts are decreased and has water use reduction measures that may be implemented by the City Manager. The declaration of the city’s “Stage 1” of its drought management plan means Scottsdale will activate its Drought Management Team consisting of a diverse group of division and department directors from across the city. Their goal will be to examine the needs and recommendation of targeted appropriate responses and increase drought and water shortage communication efforts throughout the city.
At “Stage 1” of the Drought Management Plan, Scottsdale will ask residents and businesses to voluntarily conserve and more efficiently use water - a key initiative and communication effort. Scottsdale offers a wide and varied list of programs and rebates to residents and businesses to utilize to be the best stewards of its water resources. Scottsdale officials emphasize that every individual is key to making the city a thriving desert community and in doing so finding ways to use every drop efficiently and with a conservation mindset.
Original source can be found here.
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