A:
In order for a city to pump, treat, and deliver water to its customers, it has to demonstrate that it has an equal amount of renewable water in order to offset the water it pumps from the ground. Surface water from rivers, such as the Colorado River, is considered a renewable supply.
At the present time, the Colorado River is the only renewable surface water supply available to the City. Therefore, growing the City’s rights to more of this water is paramount. This acquisition would grow the City’s annual right to Colorado River water by over 38 percent.
The benefits of a community having a greater access to water supplies, means that the community has the ability to not only support its residential population; but also the ability to attract and retain businesses in a variety of industries. More businesses offer citizens a great opportunity to work closer to home, grow the City’s tax base, and improve its ability to attract more employment opportunities.
The ability to grow the City’s water allocations today is a more cost effective way of growing the portfolio. If the City were to seek out water rights when the water is actually needed, the cost of those rights would be much greater. The costs to acquire rights to additional water sources continue to rise.