Peoria plans to build water wells as drought, cuts to Colorado River water continue
City officials say this would help in a “worst-case scenario.”
PEORIA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Call it a sign of the times. Roughly seven acres of undeveloped land near the Loop 303 and Lake Pleasant Parkway, where you can find native plants and animals, will likely become home to five new water wells in Peoria.
City leaders say the goal is to be able to store and release water for what it calls a “worst-case scenario.” “This is where the water is. And we need to ensure that everybody in our city has water,” said Daniel Kiel, the engineering manager with the city of Peoria Water Services Department.
Arizona’s Family took our drone to the potential construction site with Kiel and Brett Fleck, the water resources advisor with the city. “The wells are about 1,000 feet deep, give or take. And they’re going to be accessing water that’s under our feet that we’ve put there,” Fleck explained.
He says the wells could produce about 10 million gallons a day in case of emergency. It’s Colorado River water already being stored underground right now, according to Fleck. “We’re doing everything we can to ensure that we always have a fully redundant water supply for our citizens. And this is a huge part of that,” Kiel said.
About 200,000 people live in Peoria, a growing area of the Valley, and according to the city’s website, about 42% of its water supply comes from the Central Arizona Project. The wells would only serve those living in the northern part of town, and the project is expected to cost more than $63 million, which will be paid for through state and federal funds.
“Scottsdale has also been developing additional wells,” said Sarah Porter, the director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at ASU. She sees this type of development as a good sign and says Arizona cities have been storing Colorado River water for years. “One way is to recharge aquifers with it to let that water to go down into the aquifers. and the other way is to send the water to an irrigation district,” she recently told Arizona’s Family. Porter says it could also be used instead of groundwater.
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Like many other Valley cities, Peoria has what’s called assured water supply designation. That means it has enough water to support current and future development for the next 100 years. So why build wells now? To prepare for possible cuts along the Colorado River in the future.
“I think for a long time it was understood that the Central Arizona Project would be a really reliable supply and that any reductions would be relatively minor,” Fleck said. “I think with the long-term drought, climate change, growth and demand on the Colorado River basin: there’s a lot more pressure on the system.”
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The majority of the land in the construction area is owned by the Arizona State Land Department. It says the city has submitted applications to purchase the land for the well sites. A spokesperson for the city of Peoria says the process could take up to 12 months, but they hope to start construction in 2024.
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