MESA, Ariz. — The Mesa City Council has recently agreed to spend millions on drilling new groundwater wells and building infrastructure to gain access to more Colorado River water.
On Feb. 27, the council approved spending about $3.4 million on building out two wells in the southeast region of Mesa.
Chris Hassert, the city's water resources director, told the council that Mesa is planning on up to 12 wells over a six-year period.
"These wells will expand the City’s access to groundwater to provide for current and future growth in the area and additional flexibility for the water system," city records state.
Hassert said the city's wells are pumped "infrequently" and the groundwater is mainly used to back up Mesa's water treatment plants for when those facilities are out of service due to maintenance.
Only about 8% of Mesa's water comes from water pumped out of the city's wells.
On March 6, the council approved spending over $13 million on building a new 10-mile water pipeline that will deliver the city's reclaimed water to the Gila River Indian Community.
The delivery is part of a deal to have GRIC supply Mesa with a portion of its Colorado River water credits.
"The new pipeline will help Mesa meet the conditions of the exchange agreement by maximizing deliveries and gaining an additional 12,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water supplies," city records state.
City officials said the water swap with GRIC will better cushion Mesa's water supply as the city grows and cuts are proposed for municipals that receive Colorado River allotments.
Mesa's recent investments in water infrastructure come at a time when the city has already triggered the first stage of its water shortage management plan.
That first stage involves Mesa aiming to reduce its water usage by 5%.
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