Miles SmithArizona will invest $60 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in projects that will advance technology, improve infrastructure and help conservation.
All ARPA funding, a federal program established in 2021 to help local, state and tribal governments recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, must be fully spent by December 31, 2026.
“Arizona’s water future depends on taking action today,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said. “Not only is my administration driving key policy reforms, I’m committed to making investments that protect water for every Arizonan and ensure our communities have the resources they need to continue growing for generations to come.”
The funding will be divided eight ways:
- $14.6 million for the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) Water Conservation Grant Fund to continue supporting conservation projects statewide, including rural water solutions and long-term sustainable supplies. WIFA has already funded over 150 projects through $200 million previously allocated by the state.
- $12.3 million to support disadvantaged small public water systems that will receive funding through the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) for technical support and infrastructure improvements to ensure reliable, clean drinking water.
- $12 million for Buckeye’s renewable water infrastructure. The city will use state funds to expand renewable water supplies, including infrastructure to enhance the reuse and recharge of effluent as part of the City’s commitment to achieve a 100-year Alternative Designation of Assured Water Supply (ADAWS) for sustainability and growth.
- $7 million for new groundwater index wells across rural Arizona that will help track declining aquifer levels and inform water management strategies for rural communities.
- $5.5 million for hydrogeologic studies on groundwater basins facing water level declines that will provide crucial data for aquifer management to help the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) build groundwater models and tools that assist water protection efforts.
- $5 million to combat water contamination from perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The funding will double ADEQ’s funding to identify and remediate harmful chemicals that threaten water supplies of Arizona communities.
- $3.49 million for advanced water monitoring technology and data collection at ADWR involving satellite monitoring, gravity surveys, and GPS technology to improve aquifer management and water demand data collection.
- $500,000 for ADEQ to track and replace failing wastewater disposal systems in rural areas to prevent contamination of water supplies.
These investments are intended to protect critical water resources while also promoting environmental and economic sustainability for Arizona’s future.
Photo courtesy Cathixx, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
