Feds to Impose Water Cuts After Missed River Deadline | The Locally Times
A missed Feb. 14 deadline for a Colorado River deal empowers the U.S. government to impose water cuts affecting 3.7 million Arizona residents in ten Maricopa County municipalities.
Negotiations among Arizona and six other Colorado River basin states broke down, causing them to miss a February 14 federal deadline to establish a new water use agreement. The AMWUA postings cite reports indicating federal officials believe action on the river cannot be delayed, signaling a federally mandated plan is the next step. ## Arizona Braces for Substantial Reductions Following the negotiation breakdown, an Arizona Daily Star article cited by AMWUA on February 18 reported that Arizona should expect a substantial reduction in Colorado River water under the most probable federal plan. The document further identifies that ongoing drought, climate change, and the river system's over-allocation place increasing pressure on Arizona’s water supplies. Public records do not yet detail the specific volume of the anticipated cuts or the precise mechanics of the federal plan. ## Impact on 3.7 Million Maricopa County Residents The impending water cuts directly affect the ten municipalities that form the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association. Member cities listed in the organization’s records include Phoenix, Scottsdale, Peoria, and Glendale. Phoenix Water, an AMWUA founding member, delivers water to 1.6 million residents across a 540 square-mile service area. Scottsdale Water serves nearly 250,000 people, delivering an average of 61 million gallons of water per day. Documents from AMWUA do not specify how any federally imposed reductions would be distributed among its ten member cities or what the direct impact would be on residents’ water rates and municipal services. ## Path Forward Remains Undefined Despite the impasse, information posted by AMWUA on February 19 indicates that Arizona’s chief negotiator has reiterated a commitment to seeking a collaborative solution for the river’s management. The records do not provide the negotiator’s name. Although state-level officials may continue to pursue a consensus, the federal government now controls the immediate future of the region's water supply. The details of the federal plan, the timeline for its implementation, and the specific contingency measures being prepared by individual cities like Peoria or Glendale are not available in the currently posted public documents.