Could Arizona communities share water during shortages? Phoenix is taking the first step

As deeper cuts to Colorado River supplies approach, Phoenix and Tucson have spent more than a year developing a new program that would let Arizona communities share water during shortages. Other cities, tribes and utilities are expected to follow.

The Phoenix City Council voted unanimously July 1 to authorize the city to participate in the Secure Water Arizona Program, known as SWAP. The first-of-its-kind framework would allow Arizona water users to share supplies during shortages and develop new conservation and water-exchange agreements.

The final agreement is still being completed, but Phoenix Water Resources Management Adviser Max Wilson said the city expects to formally join by the end of the year.

Phoenix and Tucson are currently the only cities that have publicly committed to the program, but Wilson said more partners are expected.

“We have had conversations with nearly every other Valley community, and we have heard … that many of them anticipate joining,” Wilson told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “We certainly anticipate it being bigger than just Phoenix and Tucson here in very short order.”

How SWAP could help Phoenix grapple with Colorado River cuts

SWAP is a voluntary framework meant to help Arizona water users share supplies before shortages become emergencies.

The program is designed to create an emergency water reserve, help replace reduced Colorado River and Central Arizona Project supplies, and encourage new water-sharing and conservation agreements among cities, tribes, utilities, irrigation districts and other water users.

The effort comes as Phoenix, which gets about 40% of its water from the Colorado River, prepares for possible deeper cuts. New federal operating guidelines for the river are expected in 2027, and Arizona, California and Nevada could face major reductions.

Wilson said the goal is to make it easier for Arizona communities to help each other when water supplies are strained.

“What we’re really working on through the SWAP program is to ensure that in this time of need, neighbors can help neighbors in an easy and streamlined way,” Wilson said.

What happens next?

Phoenix and Tucson are still working to finalize the SWAP agreement. Once that happens, Wilson said the cities plan to make water available for an emergency reserve.

That reserve would be used if a community faces an unanticipated “wet water” emergency — meaning it has an immediate need for actual physical water, not just a paperwork or allocation issue.

In that situation, the emergency reserve could provide short-term water while the affected community develops a longer-term plan to repay the reserve and secure additional supplies.

“So we will immediately do that on day one, make those waters available,” Wilson said.

SWAP would also allow water users to negotiate directly with each other on future water-saving and sharing agreements. That could involve Phoenix working with another city, tribe, irrigation district or water provider to identify ways to conserve water and move it to another part of the state where it is needed.

Would water actually move through the Secure Water Arizona Program?

Yes, Wilson said.

While some SWAP transactions could involve credits, exchanges or accounting mechanisms, the purpose is to solve real water shortages.

“At its core, if somebody’s having a water problem, if we don’t get them water, we haven’t solved anything,” Wilson said.

One example could involve water that Phoenix and Tucson have stored underground in the Tucson area. If another community needed water, Tucson could recover stored water from its aquifer and divert part of its Central Arizona Project order to the community in need, Wilson said.

That would allow water to reach the community facing a shortage while keeping Tucson’s supply whole.

What SWAP means for Phoenix residents

For now, the vote does not create immediate changes for Phoenix residents.

Residents should not see immediate changes to water service, restrictions or conservation rules because of SWAP. Instead, city officials describe the program as a long-term planning tool meant to protect water reliability as Colorado River supplies become less certain.

If Phoenix faced a shortage, SWAP could also help the city access emergency reserve water or complete water exchanges more quickly than it can now.

Phoenix’s agreement allows the city to spend up to $5 million on administrative costs during the initial term, which can last up to 10 years. Wilson said that money would help cover costs such as program tracking and administration because the final structure of SWAP is still being worked out.

Future SWAP-related contracts involving Phoenix, including agreements involving money or new exchanges, would generally need City Council approval. Some emergency reserve actions, however, could be authorized through the SWAP agreement itself.

Related

Court ruling could spare Chandler residents $1.7M a year in taxes for undelivered waterCentral Arizona Project president says feds ‘bought the lies’ on Colorado River planGov. Katie Hobbs pushes back on ‘unacceptable’ terms in federal Colorado River proposalArizona, California, Nevada would get less Colorado River water under new federal proposalLake Powell could lose the ability to generate power by early 2027Kearny mayor says town’s water supply should last through this year, but 2027 is questionable