Water-hauling trucks in Desert Hills and New River will not be allowed to fill their vehicles at Phoenix fire hydrants after December 31, jeopardizing their ability to serve residents in these unincorporated communities, which rely on either private wells or water trucks.
Phoenix’s Water Services Department wrote in a statement that water haulers will still be able to serve these communities after December 31.
Residents are alarmed at the prospect of no water, and irate about paying much higher prices for the same service if companies are forced to truck water from Peoria or Scottsdale instead.
A New River resident of 12 years, Turner and his family rely strictly on hauled water, despite spending $30,000 to dig and then deepen a well on their property.
“You really have a split in the community,” he told New Times — people who don’t depend on water haulers are less inclined to put pressure on Phoenix.
Our water’s working fine.’ People don’t want to get involved,” Turner said.
Brad Phelps, who owns Crystal Creek Water Hauling, said water prices could more than double if his trucks are cut off from Phoenix hydrants.
“Everybody has the same story, and it just feels like it’s really just a matter of time if you look at the graphs and you look at the levels,” Kinnersley told New Times.
“It isn’t their responsibility to make sure that people who are not even in their service area get water,” she said.