Rio Verde Foothills water fill station

Drilling a well is an application process that is regulated by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. A Notice of Intent to Drill a Well must be filed and reviewed and approved by the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

Customers who use more than double the average monthly water volume of similar residences in Rio Verde Foothills could risk disconnection of service, especially if it is determined that water is being shared to other homes that did not apply by June 1, 2024, were not built by December 12, 2023, or did not win or pay the hook-up fee lottery.

We will always notify customers about possible violations and give them an opportunity to resolve the issue before disconnection occurs.  When you receive an EPCOR account number and access to our customer portal, be sure to fill out your property profile accurately.

Yes. When the permanent, EPCOR-owned water-hauling station is complete and operational, homeowners will need to establish individual accounts. Each account will have its own PIN number, which homeowners or their contracted water hauler will use to access the water-hauling station. This ensures that water meant for the Rio Verde Foothills community remains within the community.

Any eligible homeowner in the Rio Verde Foothills service area, including those with private wells, can establish an account for service with EPCOR when the permanent standpipe infrastructure is complete. Customers must have registered up by June 1, 2024, and no applications will be processed after that date.

If a parcel in the Rio Verde Foothills community is not approved for EPCOR service, please contact a water hauler in the area. You may be able to obtain water from outside sources. EPCOR is aware of three water haulers for the community — Dynamite Water, Rio Verde Water and Water Express. We cannot recommend one hauler over another.

No. The ACC decision clearly stated that a re-draw will not be permitted.

The hook-up fee, set at $24,000 in the ACC decision, was required only for properties with unoccupied homes after December 12, 2023, who wished for service from EPCOR.

The deadline to pay the hook up fee was 45 days (about 1 and a half months) after billing, or December 16, 2024.

Yes, because the approval is linked to the property identification number (APN).

EPCOR notified customers with existing homes in early Fall 2024. Lottery customers will be notified after the drawing on October 16, 2024.

A water station is a facility located where water haulers can take potable water purchased by authorized standpipe customers that meets all Federal and state drinking water standards. Once complete, authorized haulers and users will pay for the water through an automated kiosk. Trucks will enter the new facility and fill up at a dispensing station similar in size and function to a vehicle-filling station.

The Standpipe will be located in Rio Verde off 176th Street, approximately one mile south of Rio Verde Drive. As required by the ACC, EPCOR conducted a traffic study to determine the site’s location, taking into account the safety of the nearby community and standpipe users, noise and ways to decrease the cost into consideration. The feasibility study can be found here.

EPCOR’s permanent standpipe is a long-term, dedicated facility for Rio Verde Foothills. We will own, operate and maintain the standpipe and related infrastructure, ensuring residents a sustainable water supply.

All customers are free to use any hauling service they like, including self-haul, provided the hauler is properly insured. EPCOR is aware of three water haulers for the community — Dynamite Water, Rio Verde Water and Water Express. We cannot recommend one hauler over another.

Our Operations and Engineering team conducted a preliminary feasibility analysis for a water standpipe that would be constructed in Fountain Hills to provide water that could be hauled to Rio Verde Foothills. Our analysis concluded that the proximity of the Fountain Hills Middle School and an adjacent daycare facility to the only road between Fountain Hills and Rio Verde Foothills, which would be the road that any water hauler would have to take, posed too great a human safety risk to justify further consideration.

No. Our first responsibility is to our existing customers – ensuring their safe, reliable water today and well into the future. This is a responsibility we take very seriously and we continuously evaluate and manage water resource supplies to ensure long-term reliability for our existing customer base. Rio Verde Foothills’ water will come from long-term storage credits that EPCOR has accumulated from years of storing and recharging water supplies not being directly used.

The current standpipe design is derived from the number of customers who enrolled and is consistent with the ACC’s decision. 

If a property owner or prospective owner would like to know if EPCOR has approved a particular parcel for standpipe service, please email us the parcel number at mywater@epcor.com. We will verify and respond acordingly. We regularly assist real estate agents, lenders and individuals with this process.

The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) has determined that the deep regional aquifer in the Rio Verde area has sufficient supplies to meet the 100-year demand associated with anticiipated growth. EPCOR intends to rely upon surface water instead of this regional supply to meet the demands of the standpipe. EPCOR will be able to do this through a series of agreements where EPCOR will use existing underground water storage credits held by EPCOR and provide those to allow access to Verde River water.   

In the evidentiary hearing, EPCOR witnesses testified that approximately 150-200 acre feet is what is needed to serve Rio Verde Foothills community customers each year. 

EPCOR customers may not obtain the water they receive from the standpipe under their account and provide that water to non-EPCOR customers, even if they are on the same shared well. EPCOR will enforce usage requirements strictly. The ACC-approved tariff states that a customer’s account can be terminated if the customer uses more than twice the median residential usage for more than two months in the year.

Drilling a well is an application process regulated by the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR). A Notice of Intent to Drill a Well must be filed, reviewed and approved by the ADWR.

If a parcel in the Rio Verde Foothills community does not have approved EPCOR service, please contact a water hauler in the area. You can obtain water from outside sources. EPCOR is aware of three water haulers for the community — Dynamite Water, Rio Verde Water and Water Express. We cannot recommend one hauler over another. Residents should reach out to the county to determine well drilling rules.

We will know more about the usage patterns in Rio Verde Foothills when we’ve begun billing customers through our billing system. A good rule of thumb, however, is that customers in our Rio Verde system use approximately 3,200 gallons per month.

EPCOR’s rates for service are reviewed and approved by the ACC. The ACC approved an initial rate of $16.28 per 1,000 gallons, billed by the gallon, subject to true up once the water station is built and fully operational.

Customers on standby service will pay a $25 per month flat rate, and $225 per month when taking water plus $16.28 per 1,000 gallons.

Customers on active service will pay a $75 per month flat rate plus $16.28 per 1,000 gallons.

Customers may switch between active and standby service once every 13 months.

Approved residents who enrolled were placed in one of two categories based on their requirements.

The first is Full Requirements. Full Requirements means the customer would like to buy water on a weekly/monthly etc. cadence from the standpipe and have it delivered by a water hauler, or haul it themselves. The current approved rate for this service is $75 per month as a basic fixed service charge plus $16.28 per thousand gallons purchased (billed monthly).

The Second is Standby Requirements. Standby Requirements means a customer would like access to the standpipe but may not need such service on a regular basis. The current approved rate for this service is $25 per month, but in the month he or she takes service, there would be a $225 monthly charge plus the $16.28 per thousand gallons purchased (billed monthly).

Please note that customers can transition from Full to Standby and from Standby to Full only once in a 13-month period.

Once the standpipe is operational. We will notify you at the email address you provided on your application. If you need to update your contact information, please email us at mywater@epcor.com.

It is your responsibility to maintain adequate vehicle insurance for your personal vehicle and equipment.