What has Scottsdale done to prepare for dry conditions?
Scottsdale is working to reduce groundwater use by utilizing more surface water because it’s the right thing to do to live in harmony with the Sonoran desert environment. To purchase additional surface water, we were the first city in the Valley to institute a water resources acquisition fee. This fee is a dedicated funding source to buy surface water supplies, like CAP water. Every new development in Scottsdale since 1987 has paid this fee. We’ve used this money to more than double our available surface water supplies. Scottsdale’s goal is to replace any groundwater that we do pump with groundwater recharge, as required by the state Department of Water Resources. In 1999, we dedicated the Scottsdale Water Campus, a state-of-the-art facility that treats wastewater to irrigation standards. This treated wastewater (reclaimed water) is then provided to golf courses in north Scottsdale to irrigate the turf. In winter, when irrigation needs are less, the reclaimed water is further purified
