The City of Goodyear is less reliant on Groundwater than in years past

With repeated news of drought impacts from the Colorado River and limited groundwater supplies, Goodyear continues to look for ways to diversify our water portfolio. 

The city holds a state issued Designation of Assured Water supply which guarantees 100-years of water for existing development and committed development.  Groundwater is only 23% of our water portfolio and the city continues to look for ways to reduce that percentage.   The newly constructed Surface Water Treatment Plant allows for direct delivery of our Colorado River allocation, reducing our reliance on groundwater.  Additionally, we actively recharge the aquifer by sending our treated effluent to a Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) facility.  This effort provides needed recharged water to the aquifer, stores water underground for future needs and helps to stabilize groundwater levels.  Our overall planning efforts have positioned us to be less dependent on groundwater. 

Goodyear’s groundwater resides in the West Salt River Valley (WSRV) sub-basin

In January 2023, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) released the Hassayampa Sub-Basin Groundwater Model that projects water usage by existing and planned development in an area west of the White Tank mountains and northwest of Phoenix. This report does not have a direct impact on the city’s groundwater supplies.  The groundwater pumped by the city resides east of the White Tank Mountain range and within the West Salt River Valley (WSRV) sub-basin. 

The City of Goodyear does not rely upon groundwater for future growth. Rather, we look for multiple, reliable resources to supplement our portfolio in order to support growth.

Goodyear maintains a 100-year assured water supply

The City of Goodyear has a 100-year assured water supply for any approved development, per the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

Properly managing water resources and investing in Goodyear’s water future has long been a priority for the city, and each vacant piece of land in Goodyear has an allocation of projected water so we can grow responsibly. Goodyear currently has the water resources to sustain existing demands and projected growth identified within our Designation of Assured Water Supply (DAWS).

Growth in Goodyear

Despite a significant increase in population over the last several years, water demands have not increased at the same rate year over year.  The City of Goodyear has the lowest residential gallons per capita per day (GPCD) in the Valley at 83.  On average, our residents do very well at efficiently using their water, which helps keep overall demands down and allows the city greater opportunities to manage growth.

City of Goodyear’s response to beyond Tier 2a shortage for the Colorado River

The City of Goodyear has a robust water portfolio. Our ability to provide both groundwater and surface water puts the city in a great position to manage foreseeable impacts of the current drought. The city continues to monitor the situation with the Colorado River very closely, however there is no risk to our ability to provide reliable water service to our ratepayers.

The City’s drought preparedness plan, adopted by Council, is a tool the city can use to deal with impacts from any future water shortages and can be implemented over a broad range of circumstances.

Water conservation is an additional tool available to the city for managing its water demands effectively in an arid region.  Our programs focus on reducing outdoor water use which accounts for approximately 60% of Goodyear’s annual water demands. We target high water users by providing them access to proven water budgeting software, turf removal incentives, and services that help educate and promote overall outdoor water efficiencies.  We look to expand current programs as well as add new programs in the future to help with increased overall water demand management.