Queen Creek, AZ
Home MenuSecuring Queen Creek’s Water Future
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From the purchase of the first water company in 2007, Queen Creek has pursued opportunities to manage the level of service and costs for residents and businesses, with the goal of becoming a Designated Water Provider certified by the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), a designation almost every municipal water provider in the Valley holds. In late summer, a significant water opportunity was made available through approval by ADWR of a water supply from the Harquahala Groundwater Basin, and also approval to transport that water. Queen Creek purchased an initial 5,000 acre-feet per year and has locked in a price to secure up to 12,000 acre-feet of additional water. This additional supply would fill the final gap Queen Creek has to prove a 100-year assured water supply, without relying on additional local groundwater, opening the door to become a Designated Water Provider. As the Valley’s water providers are all seeking additional water supplies, Queen Creek worked quickly to identify and lock-in an allocation to be able to purchase this water supply from the Harquahala Groundwater Basin.
The Town's lake program uses reclaimed water, which is then used to irrigate nearby landscaping |
Queen Creek Secure a more reliable & locally controlled water future: • Reduce local groundwater pumping for current customers • Move customers away from CAGRD • Own a water portfolio with 100-year assets that are less susceptible to drought conditions (Harquahala is drought proof) • Ensure more stable & sustainable costs for customers • Become a designated water provider |
At the Nov. 19 meeting, Town Council will consider for approval funding of this agreement for Harquahala Water and commit to establishing a future Water Resource Fee.
As Queen Creek currently delivers treated groundwater to customers, it’s important to note that groundwater removed from the aquifer must be replenished in accordance with the 1980 Arizona Groundwater Management Act. To comply with this mandate, a majority of Queen Creek water customers are members of and pay fees to the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD), which is included in their property tax bill (properties developed prior to 1996 are exempt). Queen Creek water customers who are CAGRD members may not be aware of the full cost of these fees, as the Town of Queen Creek has been utilizing water credits to offset these costs for its customers. This was a result of Council resolutions to reduce costs to customers as an interim measure, with the ultimate goal of becoming a Designated Water Provider to be able to locally manage those costs. Depending on the year the subdivision was developed, these costs were reduced anywhere from 33% to 100% - saving Queen Creek water customers approximately $58 million since 2018. This was an interim measure and cannot continue indefinitely, so whether or not Queen Creek becomes a Designated Water Provider, these significant fees cannot continue to be offset.
Once a Designated Water Provider, Queen Creek can become a CAGRD Member Service Area, removing the fee from individual properties on their property tax bill. Any CAGRD replenishment fee will then be paid by Queen Creek as the Town works to further reduce groundwater dependence by securing additional supplies or implementing local replenishment strategies, to reduce or remove the CAGRD obligation.
The change in your individual water bill is not yet defined; however, current CAGRD members will see the costs similar to those on their property tax bill move to the water bill, along with the amount that Queen Creek has been offsetting over the past seven years. To some customers, this may feel like an increase as the property tax is normally paid through the escrow account and not paid monthly like the water bill. The structure of the proposed Water Resource fee is not yet defined but will go through a formal public process for review and comment before being considered by the Town Council. The fee would apply to all customers as designation benefits the system as a whole and the earliest it would be implemented is 2027. As Queen Creek moves away from reliance on CAGRD, costs will be more stable and sustainable.
How does Queen Creek achieve its Water Resource Goals?This is a multi-year, multi-phased process with the Water Resource Fee estimated to be implemented sometime in 2027.
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Public informational meeting notice - Monday, Nov. 10
Join us for a public informational meeting on Monday, Nov. 10 to learn more about an upcoming decision that will allow the Town to:
- Become a designated water provider
- Reduce local groundwater pumping
- Move away from CAGRD
The informational meeting will be held at the Community Chambers, 20727 E. Civic Parkway. The presentation will begin at 6 p.m.