​EPCOR announced today that it has tapped into a new water resource, adding billions of gallons of water to the water it supplies to customers each year.

Under a unique 50-year partnership, EPCOR will be able to purchase up to 5.865 billion gallons of surface water from the Maricopa Water District (MWD) that will be distributed exclusively to areas of the Agua Fria district that are within MWD. Most of the Agua Fria district falls within the MWD boundaries.

The agreement – one of the first public-private water resources agreements of its kind – is unique because it shifts how water is being used, moving it from agriculture to residential and commercial use.

Why Is It Important?

This agreement is important because:

• It lets us pump less groundwater. While we still need to draw water from wells, having more surface water resources helps us to protect the underground water supply – a non-renewable natural resource.
• It helps to ensure that there's enough water to support the Agua Fria district as it grows – today we deliver water to more than 41,000 homes and businesses in the district, and it's growing.
• Treating and delivering surface water is, overall, cheaper than pumping and delivering groundwater. Water purchased from MWD, which is Agua Fria River water, will also in the future will help to keep the White Tanks Regional Treatment Plant running year round, even during the annual 70-day shut down for maintenance of the Beardsley Canal that brings Central Arizona Project water to the plant.

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