The City of Buckeye has delayed action to increase water rates until May 7 to give more residents an opportunity to comment on the proposal.
The Buckeye City Council had originally planned to vote on the increase during Tuesday’s regular City Council meeting.
If approved, typical residential water users would see a gradual increase of “no more than 5% per month in their combined water and wastewater bill each year for the next five years,” according to city documents. “The gradual increase helps balance affordability with the city’s operational needs.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, council members heard from two residents suggesting a change or delay in the price hike.
“I only hope and encourage the council to at least delay 12 months, maybe any type of increase in water,” said Steve Sterling, a Buckeye resident. “While a family such as myself…we can tolerate an increase, I know families who are already bending at the cost of everything else.”
Tom Berry, a resident of Sun City Festival, told council members that he and others in Festival understand the need to raise rates, however he objected to the plan to categorize home owner associations as commercial water users, which are billed at higher rates by the city.
The city has spent the past two or three years working on securing water for Buckeye, identified by some as the fastest growing city in the country, and figuring out how to pay for it.
Background
As Arizona communities continue to navigate ongoing water challenges, the city of Buckeye is taking a proactive approach to securing its water future through careful management and long-term investment.
Groundwater serves as Buckeye’s sole water source, according to city officials, who say the Water Resources Department strictly regulates groundwater pumping to remain within state-mandated limits.
These regulations, set by the Arizona Department of Water Resources, are designed to protect the region’s aquifers and prevent excessive declines in the water table that could impact nearby wells, according to documents provided by the city.
Despite relying entirely on groundwater today, Buckeye has been building a more diversified water portfolio, which includes allocations of Colorado River water and reclamation facilities that produce recycled water.
When available, most Colorado River water is used to replenish underground aquifers, while reclaimed water is distributed for non-drinking purposes such as landscaping at schools and golf courses, agricultural irrigation and groundwater recharge, the city states in recent public documents.
One of the city’s most significant long-term investments is its 2023 acquisition of water rights in the Harquahala region about an hour west of Buckeye.
Officials describe the project as a cornerstone of Buckeye’s water strategy, securing nearly 600,000 acre-feet of water intended to support the community over the next 100 years. Although it will take years to fully transport and integrate this supply into the city’s system, city documents state the initiative represents a critical step toward sustainability.
Buckeye’s overall water portfolio combines multiple sources to ensure stability and flexibility, city officials say. These include groundwater, long-term storage credits, extinguishment credits, municipal and industrial Colorado River water, non-Indian agricultural Colorado River water, Harquahala irrigation water, and reclaimed water from city facilities.
City officials emphasize that this diversified approach is designed to protect Buckeye’s water supply against future uncertainty while supporting continued growth in one of Arizona’s fastest-expanding communities.
