Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council Take More Steps to Promote Water Security in Phoenix

Since becoming Mayor of the Fifth Largest City in the Nation, Kate Gallego and the members of the Phoenix City Council have taken many steps to address the drought conditions affecting the shrinking water levels flowing from the Colorado River and Lake Mead.

Among these efforts have been:

• Passing water conservation plans in partnership with other local and regional governments.
• Forgoing water allowances from Lake Mead.
• Partnering with public and private entities in creating treatment and purification/recycling facilities that could provide safe drinking water for up to 200,000 people.
• The construction of drought relief pipelines.

Yesterday (May 31, 2023,) the Mayor and Council acted again to promote water security by, according to an official press release, “leaving up to 150,000 acre-feet of Phoenix’s Colorado River entitlement in Lake Mead over the course of three years.”

This effort, in conjunction with the Drought Resiliency Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act and the recent Lower Basin States Drought Contingency Plan, is intended to save “at least 3 million-acre-feet of water through the end of 2026.”

Commenting on the vote to conserve additional water supplies, Mayor Gallego stated:

“Conserving water and using it efficiently is in our DNA, and we will continue our efforts to bolster Western water security. We recognize that safeguarding the Colorado River is not just about protecting our city’s water supply but also about ensuring the future viability of the Southwest. This decision reinforces our commitment to sustainable water management and builds on a long history of collaboration with our partners across the state.”