Arizona to invest $8.5 million for water conservation project

PHOENIX — Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly announced Friday that $8.5 million will be invested in Arizona to continue a feasibility study related to water conservation.

The study identifies alternatives to address water storage lost due to sediment accumulation and manage future sediment accumulation in Horseshoe and Bartlett reservoirs.

“Arizona jobs, economic opportunities and the health of our communities all depend on clean and sustainable water,” Sinema said in a news release. “The historic investments we secured in our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continue to strengthen Arizona’s water systems and help secure our state’s water future.”

Provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provide the Department of the Interior $242 million to improve clean, reliable drinking water in communities across the west through five water storage and conveyance projects. $8.5 million was allocated to continue the Verde Reservoirs Sediment Mitigation Project in Arizona.

“Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is rapidly addressing critical water challenges in Arizona and the western United States,” Kelly said. “As our state continues to deal with the consequences of a historic drought, this investment will help us identify and develop solutions to better adapt to drought conditions.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law addresses water infrastructure, such as aging infrastructure, water storage, water recycling, drought contingency plans and dam safety.