Bringing a clean, safe and reliable supply of water to the taps of city residents is a huge task that Water Services employees take on every day. Water rates paid by Flagstaff residents and businesses support a variety of critical water infrastructure needs, as well as ongoing operations and maintenance. Some of the things water rates pay for include:  

Providing high-quality water for residents and businesses 

Providing clean and safe drinking water for Flagstaff is an ongoing commitment. Water rates allow the City to maintain 23 groundwater wells, as well as source water from Upper Lake Mary and nearby springs. Once the water is obtained, the City provides storage facilities and certified laboratories to ensure consistently high-water quality.  

Securing reliable water supply for the future 

Flagstaff is well-positioned for the future, with three independent water supplies that do not include Colorado River water. Maintaining a clean, reliable water supply is not a one-time effort. It requires careful use of our region’s shared natural resources, as well as ongoing investment. Some of the ways Flagstaff uses water rates to invest in the future include:  

• Developing a redundancy in water sources, which allows Flagstaff to draw on both surface water, such as Upper Lake Mary and groundwater wells, and reclaim water for outdoor irrigation. 
• Securing water rights through participation in the State’s adjudication process and the City’s water resources programming. 
• Planning for high-quality drinking water for all through maintaining our 100-year Designation of Adequate Water Supply. 

Reclaiming water for tomorrow 

Flagstaff is committed to water conservation. Reclaimed water rates allow treated wastewater to be recycled and used for other purposes, such as landscape irrigation and recreation/amenity applications. Reclaimed water use offsets demand for potable (drinking) water by 20%. When reclaimed water is not used by customers, discharges from the water reclamation plants help our natural environment by supporting wetlands in the Rio de Flag watershed. Flagstaff is one of Arizona’s leading communities for reclaimed water. 

Investing in efficiency 

Much of Flagstaff's water infrastructure is old, meaning increased maintenance costs and ongoing service problems. Water and sewer rates are used to fund the replacement of aging water and sewer mains, which adds value through less breakages and reduced water losses. 

Water rates also pay for water conservation efforts. Flagstaff has seen a continual drop in water use per person each year since 1990 and we have one of the lowest per-capita water use rates in the Country for a city of our size! This conservation of water is not only good for the environment but has avoided triggering much more costly investments in new water supplies over the past two decades. 

Fulfilling regulatory requirements 

Funding from water rates is necessary for the City to meet both state and federal regulatory requirements for drinking water, wastewater and reclaimed water. These requirements mandate: 

• The City’s Industrial Pretreatment Program, which protects our water resources from contaminants such as metals, oil, grease, fertilizers, pesticides and illegal dumping.  
• Sampling for “contaminants of concerns” in our water sources, such as Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS). 
• Following strict reclamation requirements to ensure our reclaimed water meets and A+ standard. 
• Having a dedicated operations, laboratory, and programming workforce in water and wastewater