Water.  Next to the air we breathe, is there anything we take for granted more than water?  Dozens of times each day we reach out for water -- the faucet, the washing machine, the dishwasher, the hose bib, the flush handle, the drinking fountain, the icemaker... -- and every time, day in and day out, water is there for us.  Providing safe, reliable water to our residents is one of the most important responsibilities we have as a city.  It is a responsibility all valley cities take very seriously.  This is why, 50 years ago, valley cities came together and formed the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA).  Representatives from the ten AMWUA-member cities work together to comprehensively address water resource planning and policy at a regional level, confronting complex issues and finding innovative solutions to the water challenges ahead.  I am proud to serve as Glendale's representative on the AMWUA Board of Directors.  You can learn more about the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association  HERE.

 

Each month, with your City of Glendale utility bill, you receive a newsletter called The Connection.  In this month's Connection I briefly discuss where we get the water that eventually flows into your home.  The short story is: in Glendale, if you live north of the Arizona Canal you have one primary source of water - the Central Arizona Project, which brings water that falls as rain and snow in Colorado and Utah down the Colorado River and then by canal to metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson.  If you live south of the Arizona Canal, you have two primary sources of water - the Central Arizona Project and the Salt River Project.  The Salt River Project brings water from the Salt and Verde River watersheds in northern Arizona through a system of lakes and canals to valley cities and towns.  You can find my entire Connection article online  HERE. 

 

While we have sufficient water today, and we are planning well for the years to come, we all must understand that population growth, drought, legal decisions, and climate change, along with interstate and international water agreements, all effect the amount of water available to us today - and in our future.  Water.  Let's use it wisely, so we will never wish we hadn't taken it for granted.

 

Stay cool and keep hydrated!