Prescott Valley seeks public input on water-conservation master plan as demand forecasts rise

Consultants from Madaus Water Management outlined a long-range water-demand forecast for Prescott Valley and asked the Town Council and residents to weigh in on a list of conservation measures the firm will model.

At a March 5 study session, Lisa Madaus, co-owner of Madaus Water Management, said the firm’s model uses local billing and population data and projects to 2055. Madaus said the town’s baseline average daily demand is roughly 6 million gallons per day today and could rise toward about 8.5 million gallons per day without additional conservation programs. The forecast aligns growth assumptions with the town’s recently adopted housing needs assessment.

The consultants described a three-line presentation of future scenarios: (1) passive savings from code and market shifts, (2) a cost‑optimized set of active programs, and (3) an aggressive “do everything” case. ‘‘We’ll show your current measures, an optimized package and then an all‑measures line so you can see the tradeoffs,’’ Madaus said.

Nikki Powell, who led the measure-screening presentation, explained a traffic-light screening process that left existing programs in the ‘green’ group — system water-loss reduction, targeted AMI meter outreach, tiered conservation rates, hot‑water‑on‑demand requirements for new development and public education. New green items to be modeled include residential landscape and irrigation rebates, indoor fixture rebates and commercial water audits with custom retrofits for large users. A set of ‘‘yellow’’ measures — under consideration and soliciting feedback — includes mandated efficient irrigation controllers, landscape design standards, dedicated irrigation meters at larger sites, and rain‑harvesting incentives.

Council members probed assumptions on drought and equity. One council member asked whether long-term drought conditions had been included; presenters replied the historical data series used for the baseline already reflects the multi‑decade drought and that the model projects those trends forward rather than assuming extra water availability. Another council member cited a town poverty estimate and urged protections for low‑income customers; consultants said rate structure sizing will be part of a separate rate study and suggested equity‑eligible conservation measures such as low‑income leak‑repair assistance could be modeled.

The consultants said they will seek public input via an online survey, direct feedback to the staff contact (Tracy), and an open house scheduled for May 31. They aim to finalize the measures list by April 15 and return in the third quarter with modeled program scenarios and a draft strategic plan for council review and adoption.

The study session was primarily informational; no formal action or vote was taken on measures, rates or program funding during the meeting.