The City of Buckeye has made a big purchase: a water company.
The $55 million purchase consolidates Buckeye’s control of its water and increases its overall supply by about 60 percent. The 7,000 customers who had belonged to Global Water Resources will now be served by the city.
Dave Nigh, the Director of the Water Resources Department for Buckeye, said this will help keep rates down because the city does not need to make a profit. He also said the new water resources will improve economic development and make it easier for businesses to set up in Buckeye.
"[Before the purchase] they had to deal with not only the city, but a private company to try to get their needs met," Nigh said. "This way they come to the city and we have everything in a one-stop shop."
All of Buckeye’s supplies come from groundwater. Global Water had about 20 wells and more than 11,000 acres of infrastructure.
