By Councilwoman Solange Whitehead Should Scottsdale Residents Pay Double for Water? The current Council majority has gone to great lengths—and at ratepayers’ expense—to work around Scottsdale’s Water Strategic Plan, an adopted plan designed to keep our water flowing, safe, and affordable. The latest proposal would further delay Scottsdale’s Advanced Water Purification facility—the most cost-effective and secure source of new water—and … Read More
Scottsdale’s Bold Bet on Turning Wastewater Into Drinking Water
Scottsdale has never been shy about treating water like the scarce resource it is, and its latest pitch to offset Colorado River cuts proves it again. For decades the city has drawn roughly 70% of its supply from the Colorado River through the Central Arizona Project. However, federal shortage declarations and a shrinking Lake Mead have forced Scottsdale to get … Read More
Mayor Lisa Borowsky responds to new Colorado River operating guidelines, reassures Scottsdale’s strong water future
Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky is responding to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s release of new Colorado River operating guidelines for 2027 and 2028. “While Scottsdale has legitimate concerns about the long-term health of the Colorado River system, our city remains well-positioned to meet the needs of our residents and businesses,” Mayor Borowsky said. “Scottsdale has invested for decades in … Read More
Guest Editorial: Now We Know
By Betty Janik Now We know The wait is over. The Interior Department announced Arizona will receive a CAP water cut of about 31% over the next 2 years. This was expected. We have reserves to tap into as needed. Now we must look to the future. Steps are available to secure our water future. Conservation is the easiest. It’s … Read More
Lake Powell and Lake Mead Warning of the Day of Reckoning for Scottsdale
Lake Powell and Lake Mead both hit record lows this month, and the numbers are hard to shrug off. These dynamics are the biggest threat to Scottsdale in its history. Powell has dropped more than 20 feet since the start of the year and is now just 30 feet from the point where its hydroelectric turbines stop working altogether. … Read More
Guest Editorial: Steady Water Management, Not Campaign Rhetoric
By Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield Scottsdale residents deserve the real facts about our water future, not cherry-picked claims timed for an election. Councilwoman Solange Whitehead’s recent opinion piece attempts to cast doubt on the city’s water security to promote her preferred council candidate. The facts reveal a different picture. Scottsdale Water has planned for a possible drought for decades, carefully managing … Read More
Your Scottsdale Water Update: Higher Water Bills are Coming to Phoenix, is Scottsdale Next?
By Vanessa Rogers Phoenix is now weighing a water rate increase, and the reason is the Colorado River. That should worry Scottsdale far more than it worries Phoenix. Reclamation finalized a decade-long operating framework on July 31. Lake Mead then fell to its lowest level on record. Scottsdale, for its part, quietly spent $8.25 million on stored groundwater in June. … Read More
Voting for Raoul Zubia safeguards Scottsdale’s AAA bond rating
By Councilwoman Solange Whitehead The nation’s credit rating agencies just provided another compelling reason to elect Raoul Zubia to the City Council. In less than two years, the current Council majority has caused lasting damage including their unprecedented politicization of water and defunding of Scottsdale’s Advanced Purified Recycled Water program. These actions have dealt a dual blow to our community, … Read More
Mayor Borowsky: Water is Arizona’s lifeline — and Scottsdale has been the leader in best practices of this critical resource, and we must continue to do so
By Mayor Lisa Borowsky Water has always shaped Arizona’s story. It determines where communities grow, where businesses invest and how future generations will live and prosper in the Sonoran Desert. It is not just another public policy issue. Water is Arizona’s lifeline. This reality is why I invest significant time in service on the Board of the Arizona Municipal Water Users … Read More
Featured Editorial: Critical Moment for Scottsdale’s Water Security
By Raoul Zubia Water is not an abstract policy debate in the Sonoran Desert. It is the fundamental condition for our life, our economy, and our future. As the federal government releases its framework for the Colorado River, we face a critical moment. Arizona has stepped up, conserving over 5.5 million acre-feet of water since 2014 and demonstrating that lower … Read More