Peoria presents multi‑pronged plan to secure water supply, pursues Vidler credits and advanced purification

Peoria water staff on May 5 told the City Council they are pursuing a layered strategy — redundancy, new supplies, reclaimed‑water innovation and stronger conservation — to protect the city’s water future.

Kevin Burke, deputy city manager for Water Services, introduced the team and said staff are narrowing options into strategic focus areas: surface‑water resiliency, system redundancy, supply innovation, compliance and conservation. “We’re actively pursuing new water supply opportunities,” he said.

Dave Burks, the city’s water director, told council the proposed FY2027 capital improvement plan emphasizes redundancy, including a well‑development program to strengthen system reliability. He said the city’s application for a 100‑year assured water supply designation is pending and that approval is anticipated within about six months.

Melinda Whittington, the city’s water resources advisor, reviewed Peoria’s recent Central Arizona Project (CAP) acquisitions — reporting a current CAP allocation figure the presentation lists as 34,121 acre‑feet — and described an opportunity to acquire recovered long‑term storage credits in the Harquahala Valley that would yield about 1,730 acre‑feet per year and would not be subject to Colorado River shortage reductions.

Deputy Director Daniel Keel outlined near‑term infrastructure projects. He described the CAP LPP intersection wellfield (three wells producing roughly 5 million gallons per day), a set of planned wellfields (including Alafria West and a well by Liberty High School) and rehabilitation of offline wells. Keel said completing the well projects across the CIP could total roughly $80 million over a 10‑year period.

Staff also described two reclaimed‑water transmission projects included in the CIP (Project 2 and Project 3). Project 3 would connect Butler and Beersley wastewater basins with about 11 miles of new transmission pipe, remote reservoirs and booster stations; staff estimate design costs in FY27 around $1.9 million and total construction at approximately $106.5 million, with phased work through FY33.

On supply innovation, staff discussed two large efforts: the Vidler water purchase concept (acquisition of long‑term storage credits plus land and infrastructure to recover and convey the water to Peoria’s Pyramid Peak treatment plant) and an advanced water purification (AWP) program that would treat reclaimed water to potable standards. City presentations cited prior study work (March 2025) and said Phase One (permitting, design and a pilot) would take about three years; staff previously presented an AWP program cost in the range of roughly $800 million to $1 billion spread over many years.

Staff emphasized conservation as the most immediate, cost‑effective approach. Presentation figures show existing conservation programs offset about 161 acre‑feet annually — roughly the water for 400 homes — at an estimated cost of about $6,200 per acre‑foot (projected at roughly $1 million per year). By comparison, staff listed drilling new wells at about $8,100 per acre‑foot in their planning estimates.

Council members sought practical messages for constituents and asked whether recent tri‑state Colorado River proposals or pending state legislation would change Peoria’s plans. Whittington said the three‑state proposal is with the Bureau of Reclamation and that Peoria’s planned supplies would remain beneficial under multiple federal scenarios; staff also stated the Harquahala Valley credits currently available for recovery were already stored and are not contingent on future storage legislation.

The presentation concluded with staff stressing redundancy and that, combined, the CIP backbone (including the Vidler purchase and eventual AWP development) is intended to support a growing and resilient city.

What happens next: staff said design work for major transmission and recharge projects would begin with FY27 CIP approval and that AWP siting recommendations to city management are expected in August. Council did not take formal action on the study‑session presentation itself; it moved on to regular agenda items, including budget and CIP adoption.