After more than two years, the unincorporated metro Phoenix community of Rio Verde Foothills now has a permanent water source.
The unincorporated community about 30 miles north of Scottsdale has a population of about 2,200 people, according to the 2020 census.
It had relied on water from Scottsdale until 2023. When Colorado River cuts were implemented, the city stopped supplying Rio Verde Foothills.
Now the Canadian-based EPCOR Utilities, which also serves Fountain Hills, has finished construction of a water pipeline and filling station, allowing residents to refill water daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The community had little water for about 10 months until EPCOR started hauling it in while constructing the permanent pipeline.
Resident Leigh Harris Avril says it’s $75 a month to access, plus 16 cents per gallon.
“$300 a month for water. $300 a month for electricity can outprice and out-stage many, many families here," Avril said.
The water is only available to residents who applied to tap into EPCOR’s station.
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