As negotiations continue over the future of the Colorado River, officials with Arizona‘s water management board point to the millions allocated in water conservation grants as an example of the state’s willingness to manage its water resources.
The Water Infrastructure Financing Authority recently allocated $200 million in grants for water conservation, and WIFA officials estimate the projects will save up to 5.5 million acre-feet of water over the course of their lifespan.
The grant funds come from Covid relief funds the legislature appropriated to WIFA in 2022. The board awarded 189 grants to public entities and private water utilities for various types of water conservation projects across the state. .
“This particular program was exclusive to communities that would not normally participate in a grant program,” said WIFA Deputy Director of External Affairs Chelsea McGuire.
The maximum grant award was $3 million. Awarded applications were due May 19 and cover a variety of water conservation projects, including agricultural efficiency, research activities, meter upgrades and grass removal.
“The Water Conservation Grant Fund was the result of bipartisan agreement on a critical issue: the importance of protecting Arizona’s water supply,” Sen. Sine Kerr, R-Buckeye, said in a news release from WIFA on April 18 announcing the grants. “I am excited to see communities across Arizona use these funds to implement critical water conservation measures that help secure our state’s water future.”
Projects ranged from cities like Chandler and Peoria that replaced non-functional turf with grass on city properties to the Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District in Gila County that replaced nearly 10,000 feet of water lines.
According to WIFA, between 3.2 million acre-feet and 5.5 million acre-feet of water are expected to be saved over the life of the projects. McGuire said the projects received grants based on various considerations, such as an analysis of the cost per expected acre-foot of water saved.
McGuire said not all of the project requests WIFA received were funded. He said WIFA officials are hoping for a “miracle” in these legislative sessions to get additional funding for the water conservation fund.
Budget analysts on the Legislature’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee have forecast a deficit of about $1.7 billion over the next two fiscal years.
And with no more Covid relief funds distributed to states, Gov. Katie Hobbs proposed reducing some of the $333 million allocated to WIFA in the next fiscal year to $33 million.
During a House Appropriations Committee hearing in January reviewing Hobbs’ budget proposal, committee Chairman Rep. David Livingston, R-Peoria, said he would agree to cut WIFA’s budget.
“We definitely have plans for the future,” McGuire said. “We believe that the momentum of this program is critical and that we will keep it going.”
McGuire said WIFA officials acknowledge this year’s budget shortfall, but hope the legislature will put some money into the water conservation fund either this year or in the next fiscal year so the state can show how it is managing water resources for the Colorado River negotiations.
Seven states, including Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, California, Arizona and Nevada, are considering competitive proposals to determine how water resources should be divided. The current plan to manage the river expires at the end of 2026 and negotiators aim to finalize a new plan early that year.
The Keynote USA reported March 6 that Lower Basin states (Arizona, California and Nevada) want a new plan that distributes resources more equitably.
McGuire said Arizona, by demonstrating that it is managing its own water resources efficiently, gives the state a stronger presence in negotiation talks.
“This will be a fantastic way for Arizona to signal the fact that we are serious about using our water well,” McGuire said.
WIFA is also seeking additional funding for a multibillion-dollar desalination plant proposed by former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow @Keynote USA Local on Twitter.