Water is something most of us in Scottsdale use every day without thinking much about it. We turn on the faucet, take a shower, water the yard and go about our day.
But with ongoing headlines about the Colorado River, drought and water shortages across the Southwest, it is understandable that Scottsdale residents may have questions about where our water comes from and whether our supply is secure.
On the latest episode of Scottsdale Vibes, Alicia Haygood sits down with Thyra Ryden Diaz, Scottsdale’s Senior Director of Water Resources, for a conversation designed to separate fact from assumption and explain how Scottsdale manages its water supply.
And one of the biggest takeaways from the conversation?
Scottsdale is not running out of water.
Where Does Scottsdale Get Its Water?
One of the first questions Alicia asks is also one of the simplest: When you turn on your faucet in Scottsdale, where does that water actually come from?
The answer is more complicated than many residents might realize.
Scottsdale has a diversified water portfolio that includes Central Arizona Project surface water, wells, Salt River Project allocations and water from Roosevelt. The city also stores water underground as part of its long term water management strategy.
Scottsdale has legal rights to approximately 81,000 acre feet of Central Arizona Project water. According to Ryden Diaz, the city has also been saving approximately 25 percent of that water by putting it into the ground for future use.
She compares that underground storage to a savings account that can be used as part of Scottsdale’s drought planning.
What About the Colorado River?
The Colorado River has become one of the biggest sources of concern when it comes to water in the Southwest, and Scottsdale is often mentioned in conversations about potential shortages.
But Ryden Diaz says residents should understand that Scottsdale’s water supply is much more diversified than the headlines might suggest.
Scottsdale does receive Colorado River water through the Central Arizona Project, but that is only one part of the city’s overall water portfolio.
The city has been preparing for drought conditions for decades and has plans for different scenarios involving changes to its Colorado River supply.
Even if additional cuts occur, Scottsdale has other sources it can use and stored water that can help fill gaps.
As Ryden Diaz explains during the episode, Scottsdale has been planning for these possibilities for decades. The city has run numerous scenarios to determine how it can continue providing water under different conditions.
Scottsdale Has Been Saving Water for Decades
One of the most important points in the conversation is that Scottsdale’s water planning did not begin when the most recent headlines about the Colorado River started appearing.
The city has been preparing for drought and changing water conditions since the early 2000s.
Scottsdale has been storing water underground for decades, creating reserves that can be used when needed. The city also has a highly flexible distribution system that allows water from different sources to be moved throughout the community.
That means residents in different parts of Scottsdale aren’t simply receiving one specific type of water based on where they live.
Water from different sources becomes part of the overall distribution system and is blended throughout the city’s network.
Scottsdale Is a Leader in Water Recycling
Another fascinating part of the conversation is Scottsdale’s Advanced Water Treatment facility.
Scottsdale has been recycling water for more than 30 years. The city’s Advanced Water Treatment facility uses multiple treatment processes, including microfiltration, ultrafiltration, ultraviolet light and ozone.
The facility has attracted attention from outside Scottsdale as well. According to Ryden Diaz, international groups have visited the facility to learn about Scottsdale’s approach to water treatment and conservation in the desert.
The facility was also developed with significant participation from Scottsdale’s golf courses. The golf courses helped fund the expansion because they wanted to become better water stewards while continuing to maintain the courses that are such an important part of Scottsdale’s tourism and recreation landscape.
What About “Toilet to Tap”?
The phrase “toilet to tap” has become one of the most recognizable and controversial phrases in discussions about recycled water.
Ryden Diaz’s explanation is straightforward: all water is treated.
Scottsdale’s water goes through treatment processes before it reaches residents, regardless of its original source.
The water produced through Scottsdale’s Advanced Water Treatment process is treated through multiple stages. According to Ryden Diaz, the resulting water is drinking water quality.
One of the interesting things Scottsdale is evaluating is whether that highly treated water could eventually be used more directly as part of the city’s water supply rather than being put into the aquifer and pumped back out later.
That is part of a larger conversation about how Scottsdale can continue making the most efficient use of every drop of water available to the community.
Is Scottsdale’s Growth Putting Pressure on the Water Supply?
Scottsdale continues to grow, particularly in areas of North Scottsdale, and that naturally raises questions about how new development affects water.
Ryden Diaz explains that Scottsdale’s distribution system is highly integrated and that water from different sources is distributed throughout the city.
She also discussed the city’s consideration of how to manage very large new water users.
For example, what happens when a new development wants to use hundreds of thousands of gallons of water each day?
Scottsdale is looking at questions such as how much water a proposed development would use, what benefit it would bring to the community, what infrastructure would be required and what conservation measures could be incorporated.
The conversation reflects a larger challenge for a growing desert community: finding ways to accommodate economic development while remaining thoughtful about the resources required to support that growth.
What Can Scottsdale Residents Do?
While Scottsdale has extensive systems and reserves in place, residents still play an important role in water conservation.
Ryden Diaz says one of the simplest things residents can do is pay attention to how much water they are using, particularly outdoors.
She points out that many people water more than they need to and encourages residents to be conscious of outdoor water use.
Scottsdale also offers conservation programs, classes and resources to help residents understand their water use and find ways to conserve.
The city provides information about conservation through its website, and residents can also participate in the Scottsdale Water Citizens Academy to learn more about where Scottsdale’s water comes from, how it is treated and how the city’s water system works.
So, Do We Have Enough Water?
Alicia asks the question many Scottsdale residents probably want answered most directly: Do we have enough water?
Ryden Diaz’s answer is yes.
She says Scottsdale has enough water for the coming year and the next two year period and has the ability to adjust how it uses different sources if conditions change.
That doesn’t mean Scottsdale can ignore conservation or assume water will always be unlimited.
It means the city has been planning, saving, recycling and preparing for different scenarios for decades.
As Ryden Diaz puts it, the goal is not to panic. It is to be conscious of the resource we have and be good stewards of it.
The People Behind Scottsdale’s Water System
One of the most interesting parts of the conversation isn’t actually about infrastructure. It is about the people who operate it.
Ryden Diaz says Scottsdale’s Water Resources department has an extremely knowledgeable and dedicated staff, including employees who have spent years working on the city’s water system.
She also points out that Scottsdale’s water expertise has attracted interest from other parts of the world.
For residents, that means there are people behind the scenes working every day to make sure water continues flowing when we turn on the faucet.
And if residents have questions, Scottsdale has made it possible to ask them directly.
The Water Resources department can be reached at questions@ScottsdaleAZ.gov.
Learn More About Scottsdale Water
The conversation with Thyra Ryden Diaz is a reminder that there is a lot more to Scottsdale’s water system than the headlines about the Colorado River.
Scottsdale has multiple water sources, underground reserves, recycling and treatment systems, a sophisticated distribution network and long term planning designed to prepare for changing conditions.
That doesn’t mean water conservation isn’t important. It is.
But it does mean Scottsdale residents can stay informed without panicking.
To hear the full conversation, listen to the latest episode of Scottsdale Vibes with Alicia Haygood and Thyra Ryden Diaz.
And if you want to learn more about Scottsdale’s water system firsthand, consider checking out the Scottsdale Water Citizens Academy and the city’s water conservation resources.