Prescott staff outline draft long-term water management plan; council favors 10-year near-term work and longer scenario runs

Prescott City staff and outside consultants on Dec. 10 presented a draft long-term water management plan that would set near-term actions for the next 10 years while running longer-term scenarios out to 50 years, and asked the City Council for direction on scope, public engagement and performance benchmarks.

The presentation, led by Water Resources and Environmental Services Manager Bridal Reese and consultant Herb Dischlepp, framed the plan as a city-implementable document that must respect existing legal obligations and intergovernmental agreements, while laying out supply-and-demand management strategies, data needs and outreach. "Our plan has to be something we can implement as the city," Dischlepp said, urging the council to avoid proposals that would violate statutes or undo current contracts.

Why it matters: Prescott's planning will inform future capital projects, conservation programs and service-area decisions that affect growth, fire-safety infrastructure and water supply reliability. Staff said the grant-funded work includes compiling a single data tool for scenario runs and that the grant timeline allows further refinement through February, with staff referencing a target to have a plan draft for council consideration by July 2027.

Key details and council direction

Leslie Grazer, the city's water resources manager, summarized the draft outline, noting links to the Mayor's Commission recommendations, the council strategic plan and the general plan. Supplies are largely compiled in an existing 2023 water-and-wastewater model, she said, but stormwater and targeted supply options will require additional analysis. Grazer recommended a near-term planning horizon of 10 years with scenario modeling to at least 50 years to test long-range uncertainty.

Council feedback favored a 10-year near-term focus with intermediate benchmarks: Mayor Burton and multiple councilmembers supported 10 years and longer-range scenario work to 50 years; several suggested adding a 25-year benchmark and viewing 100 years as a longer-term stretch goal tied to the city's assured water-supply status. Councilwoman Freeworth urged staff to focus on the 10- and 25-year capital-planning needs and cautioned that adoption timing alone (a cited target of July 2027) might not guarantee community-level outcomes by fiscal year 2028.

Demand management and customer tools

Staff asked whether demand-management goals should prioritize extending current supplies to reduce future capital outlays. Councilmembers and staff discussed expanding conservation, targeting demand reductions where they are most cost-effective and using customer-facing tools. Mayor Burton said smart meters—currently funded for roughly one-third of customers, staff said—will help households monitor use and respond to tiered rates.

Public participation and oversight

Grazer outlined multiple outreach approaches built into the grant, including workshops, targeted surveys and partnerships with regional groups. Councilmembers suggested staged briefings (through the Water Issues Subcommittee or regular study sessions), periodic reviews (staff recommended a formal five-year review and more frequent monitoring) and clearer homeowner-facing materials such as easy charts showing dollar savings for turf removal or fixture upgrades.

Public comments and technical concerns

Several residents spoke during public comment. Tom Rusing asked how adaptive management will be operationalized (reassessments at 1, 5 and 10 years) and urged well-designed public engagement and meaningful presentation formats. Tony Hamer recommended that the plan explicitly consider major supply infrastructure options—he cited potential Chino pipelines as an important insurance policy—and urged probabilistic scenario planning to capture parameter uncertainty. Resident Yvonne Dorman raised long-standing neighborhood concerns about fire-hydrant spacing, inconsistent outreach and unresolved service questions on Mullen Way, asking, "Do we matter?" and requesting clearer city follow-up.

No formal actions were taken at the study session; staff closed the meeting after public comment. The city will continue grant-funded work through the winter, run additional modeling and return with focused briefings and workshops for council input, staff said.

What comes next

Staff asked the council for guidance on benchmarks, the degree of ambition for demand-management tactics and the level of ongoing council involvement. Staff said they will refine the draft using council direction, integrate boundaries when the 2025 general plan is finalized, expand public outreach materials and propose a cadence of briefings and reviews as the plan is developed.