The City of Goodyear (the “City”) seeks to submit to the Arizona Department of Water Resources (“ADWR”) an application to modify its current Designation of Assured Water Supply (“DAWS”).  Modification to the DAWS will identify water resources now available to the City for current and future water demands for the next ten years.

City Council approval is required by ADWR as part of the process to modify the DAWS.   

ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2024-2391 AUTHORIZING SUBMITTAL OF AN APPLICATION TO THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES REQUESTING A MODIFICATION OF THE CITY'S DESIGNATION OF ASSURED WATER SUPPLY. (Barbara Chappell, Water Services Director)

There is no fiscal impact.

Under Arizona State law adopted under the 1980 Arizona Groundwater Management Act, designated water providers, which include municipal water providers, within the Phoenix Active Management Area must prove they have a 100-year assured water supply that will meet current, committed, and projected water needs. The DAWS required by ADWR must prove that there is the physical, continuous, and legal availability of water supplies for 100 years. The DAWS must also prove that the designated provider has the financial capabilities to expand its water system to meet committed and projected needs and the ability to treat the water to drinking water standards. Under Arizona Administration Code R12-15-711 a designated water provider must reapply for its designation of assured water supplies minimally every fifteen (15) years. However, because of the uncertainty of the availability of Colorado River water and possible federal intervention on the allocation of future Colorado River water supplies, ADWR has stated the City will need to review their DAWS within ten (10) years.

With the rapid growth in population the City has experienced over the past few years and projected future growth, the City is working to modify its DAWS. The City’s modification of its current DAWS will recognize new water supplies that were not previously recognized by ADWR.

Within the City’s 2016 Decision & Order, the ADWR recognized less than half of the City’s total Central Arizona Project (CAP) water supplies because the City was unable to physically access the water supplies and therefore the CAP water supplies were not considered continuously available as defined under Arizona Administration Code R12-15-717. The City now has the ability to take delivery of the CAP water supplies with the newly constructed surface water treatment facility and Water Delivery Agreement with Salt River Project. This additional quantity of CAP water will be added to the City’s DAWS.

Also, within the City’s 2016 Decision & Order, only 274-acre feet of physically available groundwater within the Rainbow Valley sub-basin was recognized in the City’s water portfolio by ADWR. A groundwater model was created of the Rainbow Valley sub-basin to quantify the total volume of groundwater that would be physically, continuously, and legally available to the City for 100 years.  Demonstrating the groundwater availability to ADWR will allow the volume of water to be included within the City’s water portfolio and provide flexibility towards timing of when future water supplies will be necessary to be transported into Rainbow Valley.

The City of Goodyear is experiencing rapid growth and development which requires a modification to the City’s DAWS. Modification of the City’s current DAWS will identify and demonstrate adequate water supplies to support the demands of the City’s existing and planned water users, as well as comply with the state's water management regulations. This modification of DAWS will ensure the long-term sustainability of the City’s water supplies.