Colorado River Commission & 7-States Meeting Inside Info: Arizona

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THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC -UNU ►i Tim r'lmumr VIINUM TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2005 AS Photos by Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic Sucks swim in a lake at Payson's Green Valley Park. The lake holds reclaimed wastewater from a treatment plant until the wastewater is needed to irrigate the town's parks and golf courses. Two towns struggle to cope Payson: Limiting growth, water use while grabbing nearby supplies By Shaun McKinnon The Arizona Republic PAYSON — On a sunny spring afternoon, the lakes at Green Valley Park offer a tranquil set- ting for joggers, a few people walking dogs and a youngster struggling with a kite. But the water isn't there just to look pretty. Like every other drop in this high- country town, it's fully accounted for and serving a purpose. In this case, the lakes are kept full with efflu- ant from a waste - treatment plant. The lakes store it until it's needed to irrigate parks or golf courses. What's left seeps into the ground to help recharge an aquifer. With limited groundwater, Payson has worked to make itself a model town for efficient water use and conservation, slowing growth and im- posing strict rules on everyone from the home gardener to Wal -Mart. As a result, Payson residents consume as little as 86 gallons of water per capita each day, well below the 150 gallons or more that the average Phoenix resident uses, and the town lives within its water means. Buzz Walker, the town's utilities chief, credits an elected council willing to say no to any pro- posed residential or commercial development that lacks an identifiable supply of water. The town can do this because it operates its own wa- ter system. "We've tried to make rational connections be- tween growth and our long -term water supply," Walker said. "We put the brakes on growth until we could secure a supply." Payson's population has nearly doubled to more than 15,000 since 1990. The town estimates its existing water sources could support a maxi- mum of 18,300 people. Ion water storage tank serves Sky Run Resort, his 25 -unit getaway. posed Home Depot estimated it would need 200,000 gallons, the town refused to budge. So the company retooled its design and installed air - conditioners instead of evaporative coolers. Wal -Mart also agreed to change its plans. ■ The town more than doubled the water -de- velopment impact fee for homes and began charging tiered water rates to encourage con- servation. A typical house pays about $45 a economy, the town limits new motels to 44 rooms and prohibits new swimming pools, spas, flush urinals and misters. ■ New residential subdivisions are limited to 20 lots. Builders must provide their own sources of water and build the pipelines or other infra- structure needed to deliver it to residents. The growth - control measures don't impress some high- country residents who live outside "The town of Payson has not listened to any of our input," said Gary Hatch, fire chief of Star Valley and other rural communities in the area "Our wells are at risk." Chris Benjamin, whose resort park sits next tc land purchased by the developer, said test welh affected water levels in wells that supply home: and businesses in the area. Of greater concern he said, is an abandoned dump that resident: fear will contaminate their water if the nea wells draw too deeply. The unlined dump was used for years to dis pose of everything from old cars and refrigera tors to dead animals, Benjamin said. Resident: approached the federal Environmental Protec lion Agency, "but they said there's nothing the3 can do until there's contamination," Benjamii said. "Then it's too late. What are we going to do for water then ?" Walker, Payson's utilities chief, said neither the town nor the developer is doing anything ille gal. The town's Water Department is exploring the possibility of drilling wells outside the town including several on national forest land to thi east. The town is also considering a plan to deeper existing wells. A typical well produced water a 500 feet five years ago but now is dry as deep a 750 feet. Finding new groundwater will become les; critical now that Payson has secured a long -tern supply of surface water. The town will have ac cess to as much as 5,000 acre -feet of water pe: year from Blue Ridge Reservoir, which sits of the edge of the Mogollon Rim just above Payson That will more than triple the town's water sup ply. A pipeline to move the water to town will cos $15 million or more and take five to 10 years t