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Council adopts ordinance formalizing Avondale’s water allocation and restrictions on new private wells
Summary
Avondale adopted an ordinance creating a Water Services and Water Resource Management code to define allocations from the city's Designation of Assured Water Supply, prohibit most new exempt private wells, and set enforcement for large‑volume customers.
Avondale’s City Council on July 7 adopted an ordinance adding a new article to the city code titled Water Services and Water Resource Management (chapter 24, new article 5). The ordinance codifies the city’s existing water‑allocation practices, prohibits most new low‑volume (exempt) private wells unless approved, and establishes processes for allocating the city’s Designation of Assured Water Supply (DAWS) across parcels and customers.
Kirk (city staff) told council the ordinance has four components: general provisions (including a consent‑by‑service clause and a prohibition on new exempt private wells), limitations on the city’s liability for service interruptions, formal rules for water availability and allocation tied to the General Plan and the city’s Integrated Utility Master Plan (IUMP), and penalties and remedies for large or multiple meter (MLM) customers whose demand exceeds agreed allowances.
Staff described three key defined terms: water allocation (volume assigned to a parcel based on land use and the IUMP), water allowance (volume a customer is allowed to use under agreement), and MLM customers (users with demand ≥25,000 gallons per day, or 3‑inch or larger meter equivalents). City staff said allocations are computed by multiplying the IUMP unit demand by parcel acreage and that if a project’s projected demand exceeds the allocation, the developer can (1) secure and pledge additional water resources to the city, (2) reduce demand through redesign or conservation, (3) petition the city for additional allocation, or some combination of those measures; any arrangement would be memorialized in a development agreement.
Kirk noted Avondale’s DAWS currently covers 30,666 acre‑feet per year; the city delivers roughly half that supply now and expects demand to rise as growth continues. He warned the city anticipates cuts to Colorado River deliveries after 2026 and said replacement or new water resources have become expensive — he cited market increases from roughly $200 per acre‑foot historically to $20,000–$100,000 per acre‑foot for 100‑year leases in current markets.
The ordinance provides an escalation and remedial process for commercial, industrial and HOA landscape MLM customers (enforcement does not apply to single‑family residences once parcels are subdivided). Staff said the city has practiced water allocation for more than five years and the ordinance codifies those practices. Council Member Nielsen praised the city’s portfolio management and the ordinance’s role in preserving long‑term supplies.
A motion from Council Member White, seconded by Council Member Salorio, carried 7‑0 to adopt the ordinance. The ordinance becomes effective 30 days after approval.
