They’re in the canals: SRP’s zanjeros keep the Valley's water flowing

While most of the Valley sleeps, a group of Salt River Project workers are already on the move — winding through neighborhoods and farmland, unlocking canal gates and checking flow meters before the sun even rises.

They’re called zanjeros, and their job is to keep water flowing exactly where it’s supposed to.

Max Hernandez has been doing it for more than 20 years. He follows in the footsteps of his father, who also worked as a zanjero for SRP.

“The job will tattletale on you if you don’t do it,” Hernandez said. “If somebody’s supposed to be shut off and I didn’t shut them off, well, ‘Hey, I’m still getting water.’ Or, somebody’s supposed to be getting water, and they haven’t seen water.”

Hernandez is one of more than 60 zanjeros employed by SRP, which manages over 1,000 miles of irrigation across the Phoenix metropolitan area. Each zanjero is responsible for a set of daily water deliveries, which require precise scheduling and constant communication.

Hernandez said their work can’t be done from behind a desk.

Nick Karmia

“During COVID, a lot of people weren’t going to work,” Hernandez said. “Us zanjeros were out here in the ditches grinding it out every single day. We weren’t able to go home. We had to be here physically to deliver water.”

Their duties go beyond just turning valves. A zanjero might drive 150 miles or more in a single shift, checking on gates, reporting leaks or even helping customers troubleshoot their own private irrigation systems.

For Hernandez, some of the most rewarding parts of the job come from these personal interactions.

“You get people that’ll bring you a little plate of cookies for a thank you,” he said. “Just a handshake and a ‘really appreciate you,’ means a lot.”

SRP delivers about half of the Valley’s water supply, supporting agriculture, homes and businesses. And behind every gate that opens and every ditch that flows, there’s likely a zanjero who got there before dawn to make it happen.