We live in a desert and every drop of water counts. This is especially true now as Colorado River storage reservoirs have reached critically low levels and Chandler anticipates reduced available supply. In Chandler, 37% of our drinking water supplies come from the Colorado River, 57% comes from the Salt and Verde Rivers and 6% is groundwater.
For decades, the City of Chandler has purposely and proactively invested in infrastructure, diverse water supplies, underground water storage and conservation programs to help us withstand the challenges when there are surface water shortages.
If the lower basin states successfully execute their implementation agreements, then the lower basin plan will be used and Chandler's reduction of Colorado River water in 2027 and 2028 will be approximately 16%. The impacts in 2029 and beyond are still unknown. A 16% reduction to Chandler's Colorado River water will not impact our ability to meet customer demand. These water supply reductions will primarily impact water supplies that Chandler currently delivers for underground storage.
Now that the Colorado River is no longer a dependable water source, Chandler must continue to adapt and use less water from the Colorado River. This doesn’t mean that a shortage on the Colorado River will mean a shortage at your tap. Chandler will continue to provide reliable water supplies to our customers utilizing back up water supplies. However, it is more important than ever to use water responsibly and conserve water in outdoor landscapes.
Chandler has been investing in water infrastructure for decades. These investments allow us to use multiple water sources, recover water stored underground and ensure there is sufficient conveyance infrastructure needed to move water anywhere in our service area when needed. The city has also invested in underground water storage and reclaimed water infrastructure to ensure that we can reuse 100% of our water supplies.
Water conservation alone isn’t enough to make up for the shortage of Colorado River supplies, however, Chandler has maintained successful conservation efforts for decades.
These efforts combine residential and commercial rebate incentives for grass removal and smart controller usage, free water efficiency site visits to help eliminate water waste and ongoing educational programs. These efforts saved 233.4 million gallons of water in 2025.
As another example, the city recently completed phase one of a turf to xeriscape program to remove one million square feet of grass in six city-owned retention basins. We anticipate this will reduce water use by over 20 million gallons per year. Additional sites are being considered in phase two of this program.
In 2015, Chandler was the first city in the nation to adopt an ordinance to enforce Sustainable Water Use regulations. This ordinance assists the city in maintaining a sustainable water supply for existing and future water users. The policy was recently updated to include redevelopment, high-density residential and reclaimed water. The policy ensures that new industrial customers with high volume water demands do not negatively impact the water supplies for existing residents and businesses.
Since adopting this policy in 2015, no new data centers have opened in Chandler.
Chandler has secured the water needed to serve our entire community, residential, commercial, and industrial, for the next 100 years. Chandler's long-term water planning efforts are driven by our General Plan and our Utility Master Plan. Our land use planning assumptions are updated every 10 years with each new General Plan and we allocate projected water needs for every user, parcel by parcel, both for existing and future customers.
Chandler holds a 100-year Assured Water Supply Designation from the State of Arizona. This is a rigorous process that occurs every ten years. Chandler demonstrates to the Arizona Department of Water Resources that we have secured sufficient long-term renewable water supplies and have invested in the infrastructure necessary to treat and deliver those water supplies to our customers.
Learn more about how Chandler's drought preparation.
Our population has nearly doubled over the past 25 years, but residential water use has declined by 20%. Improvements in water efficient appliances and xeriscape landscaping help to reduce residential usage.
All of the golf courses in Chandler are irrigated with non-drinking water supplies. Two golf courses in Chandler receive reclaimed water from the City and the others are irrigated with untreated water delivered by Salt River Project (SRP) or Roosevelt Water Conservation District (RWCD).
There are many ways that residents can help save our most precious resource, including the following:
- Remove grass and replace it with low-water use plants and xeriscape. Rebates are available for landscapes that qualify.
- Skip overseeding and let your Bermuda grass go dormant in the winter.
- Identify and fix leaks at your home.
- Schedule a water efficiency site visit to find ways to improve water efficiency.
- Attend a water-wise workshop
- Install a smart controller that adapts your watering schedule to match weather conditions.
Learn more about Water Conservation.