Where does Scottsdale's water come from, and does it matter when you buy a home?

Most of Scottsdale's water is surface water, mainly Colorado River water that arrives through the Central Arizona Project canal, along with Salt and Verde river water delivered by Salt River Project. A smaller share comes from groundwater and recycled water. It matters when you buy mostly because of who supplies the water to the specific address, since a home on the city's system, a home on a private water company and a home on a well each come with different things to check.

I'm Jen Keene, a REALTOR® with eXp Luxury in Scottsdale, AZ, helping people buy and sell homes. If you are looking at a specific home, I can look up who supplies its water with you.

This is general information, not legal or water-rights advice. The sources below were checked on November 5, 2026. The water mix and the conservation status change over time, so the City of Scottsdale and the Arizona Department of Water Resources are where to look for today's numbers. The Arizona Department of Real Estate's Buyer Advisory is quoted here from its February 2020 edition, and the Department also posts a January 2025 edition, so read the current one before you rely on it.

The City of Scottsdale's 2024 Water Quality Report says the city's main surface water supply is the Colorado River, which reaches the city through the Central Arizona Project canal and is treated at the CAP plant at the Scottsdale Water Campus. The Central Arizona Project's own website says it delivers Colorado River water to Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties. The same city report says Scottsdale also receives surface water from the Verde and Salt river watersheds, which Salt River Project carries to the city's Chaparral Water Treatment Plant. Salt River Project says it stores Salt and Verde river water in seven reservoirs and that over half of the water supply in the Phoenix metro area comes from its system.

A small part of the supply is groundwater. The city's water supply page, which is not dated, says Scottsdale receives less than 10 percent of its water from groundwater today and was completely dependent on groundwater before the mid 1980s, and the 2024 report says the city has 21 active wells. Recycled water is the fourth source, and the report says it is used for turf irrigation and to replenish the local aquifers.

The mix changes. The 2024 report says that depending on the time of year, the weather and customer demand, you may receive water from one source or from a combination. ABC15 reported figures for 2021: about 76 percent Colorado River, 13 percent Salt River Project, 7 percent recycled water and 4 percent pumped from the ground. For anything newer than that, the city's current water quality report is the page to open.

In its August 21, 2026 release about new Colorado River rules, the city said a federal percentage cut is not a direct percentage reduction in Scottsdale's water supply, and that it was still working out the actual impact. Scottsdale gets its Colorado River water through the Central Arizona Project, so the city follows what happens on the river, and it says it also draws on Salt River Project water, reclaimed water, groundwater and water stored underground.

The current shortage tier and any water-use restrictions change, so the city's own page is the one to check. The city keeps a Colorado River update page under water supply on scottsdaleaz.gov, and on November 5, 2026 it was marked last updated August 24, 2026. Look at it before you make an offer.

The City of Scottsdale's October 24, 2023 council report says the 1980 Groundwater Management Act requires cities to show a 100-year assured water supply, using renewable water resources, for any proposed new development, and that the Arizona Department of Water Resources designated Scottsdale as having an Assured Water Supply in 1998. The Arizona Municipal Water Users Association describes the same program in a 2019 post, saying new subdivisions cannot be built unless they can prove access to a 100-year water supply, and that providers who meet the criteria are designated by the department.

The state law behind it, A.R.S. 45-576, is written around people who offer subdivided lands. It says a city, town or county may approve a subdivision plat only if the subdivider has either a certificate of assured water supply from the director of the department or a written commitment of water supply from a designated provider. So the requirement applies to new subdivisions when they are platted. Whether it says anything about one particular resale home is a question for the Department of Water Resources or an attorney.

Designations are renewed. The city's 2023 report said Scottsdale's was due for renewal by the end of 2025, and that date has passed. The department publishes its list of designated providers, and that list is where today's status is.

The same statute says people offering land served by a designated city, town or private water company are exempt from getting their own certificate. So a new subdivision rests either on the designated provider's commitment or on a certificate the developer gets, and the approved plat notes which one was obtained. Here's my guide to new construction homes in Scottsdale.

The Arizona Department of Real Estate's Buyer Advisory, in the February 2020 edition, says a property may receive water from a municipal system, a private water company or a well. It tells buyers to investigate the availability and quality of the water to the property as well as the water provider, and it points to the Arizona Corporation Commission for a list of Arizona's water companies.

The Advisory also mentions the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District, which it says replenishes groundwater used by its members, including individual subdivisions and the service areas of member water providers. It says homeowners in the district pay an annual assessment collected through the county property tax process, based on the amount of groundwater served to member homes. The district's own website describes it as a special function of the Central Arizona Project that replenishes groundwater on behalf of its members.

In 2023 the governor's office released a groundwater model for the Phoenix area and said it projects that about 4 percent of the demand for groundwater in the region, or 4.86 million acre-feet, will not be met without further action. The governor also said water supplies for homeowners and businesses are protected. Both statements come from that one release.

Start by asking the seller or the listing agent who supplies the water to the address. If it is the City of Scottsdale, read the city's Colorado River update page and its latest water quality report. If it is a private water company, the Corporation Commission list is where the Buyer Advisory sends you, and if the home has a well, the Advisory says to investigate the availability and quality of the water.

Look at the county property tax bill for a groundwater replenishment assessment, since the Advisory says that is how it is collected. For a home in a new subdivision, ask the builder whether the plat notes a certificate or a commitment from a designated provider and which provider that is, then look the provider up on the department's list of designated providers.

Add the water provider to the questions you ask before you write an offer, next to the HOA and the flood zone. Here's how buying a home works in Arizona, step by step, here's my guide to flood insurance in Scottsdale, and here's my guide to buying a home in Scottsdale.

If you have a specific address in mind and want to know who supplies its water, get in touch or call me at (480) 203-6605 and I'll look it up with you.