http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

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Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed into law legislation that obliges Scottsdale to provide Rio Verde Foothills with access to city water. The goal of the law was to ensure that small communities like Rio Verde Foothills continue to have water access. The Associated Press, June 19, 2023 Residents of Rio Verde Foothills have been without water since the start of 2023 after Scottsdale stopped the sale of water to the unincorporated community. While Rio Verde homeowners can purchase water from anywhere, of course, but distance to transport the water makes it much more expensive than it was to buy from Scottsdale. Rio Verde met March 28 to try to find a way to provide water for homeowners who do not have their own wells. AZFamily.com (Phoenix, Ariz.), March 29, 2023 An Arizona judge will not compel Scottsdale to resume allowing water haulers to sell Scottsdale water to residents in Rio Verde Foothills as the residents can still obtain water from elsewhere. The Associated Press (New York), Jan 24, 2023 Some 500 homeowners in the Rio Verde Foothills, Arizona sued Scottsdale and demand that their access to water be restored. “The city of Scottsdale has placed plaintiffs and their families under an unconscionable amount of stress and anxiety by discontinuing their domestic water supply,” according to the lawsuit. Since Jan. 1, residents of Rio Verde have not been permitted to purchase water from Scottsdale. The city has warned for years that it may not be able to provide water for indefinitely. Rio Verde residents can purchase water from another source. The Associated Press (New York), Jan 17, 2023 Homes in Rio Verde, Arizona can no longer get water deliveries from Scottsdale as drought and limited water supplies forced Scottsdale to conserve water to have enough for its own customers. Rio Verde homeowners must search for a provider to deliver water, which requires long distances to have the water delivered and, consequently, paying more for the water. One homeowner’s water bill rose from $220 per month to $660 per month. The New York Times (N.Y.), Jan 16, 2023