Goodyear is acknowledging it does not have enough water to serve every future parcel in its planning area, and the city is creating a system to decide who gets water and under what conditions. A draft ordinance to be discussed at the June 15 City Council Work Session would establish a formal water allocation system for the first time.
A draft ordinance to be discussed at the June 15 City Council Work Session would establish a formal water allocation system for the first time. It represents a shift from treating water service as a routine utility connection to managing it as a limited resource with explicit caps, priorities, and enforcement.
The scarcity finding
The ordinance includes a policy statement that has not been in the city code before: "Goodyear has finite water resources that are insufficient to serve all future uses in all parcels currently located within the planning area."
That sentence is the foundation for everything else in the ordinance. Future growth, annexations, and large water users are all addressed as responses to that one finding.
The draft also says annexations will not be approved for the sole purpose of extending city water service, which could affect speculative development proposals on the urban fringe.
A formal allocation system
The draft creates a new definition of "Water Use Allocation."
Existing customers would be assigned allocations based on how much water they used between 2023 and 2025. New development would receive allocations based on the city's water master plan.
Allocations can change if water conditions change. The draft states that an allocation is not a water right and not a guarantee of service.
Water allocations for one parcel cannot be shifted to another parcel. Unused allocation remains under city control.
Large water users face supply requirements
Large water users are defined as any water user whose total demand exceeds the city's water allocation for their property — a category that could cover data centers, large industrial facilities, and certain manufacturing uses.
Those projects must submit a special application, disclose projected monthly and annual water use, describe conservation measures, and obtain approval from the Water Services Director. Some may require City Council approval through a service agreement.
If the city determines it does not have additional water available, the applicant must purchase new water resources and dedicate them to the city. Those supplies must be sustainable for at least 100 years and physically deliverable to Goodyear. Approved large users enter into a water service agreement that sets maximum annual use and runs with the property.
New enforcement powers
The city would gain explicit authority to impose annual water quantity limits, restrict service, install flow-restriction devices, and terminate service for violations of large-user agreements.
Turf restrictions
The ordinance would declare it wasteful to irrigate turf installed after January 1, 2027, unless it is associated with active recreation facilities and limited to what is reasonably necessary.
What's next
The June 15 work session is an update and discussion — no vote is expected. The ordinance would need to return for formal adoption at a future regular meeting.
The draft does not explain what prompted the policy shift. Possible factors include updates to the city's water master plan, recent data center and industrial development proposals, or changes in the city's assessment of long-term groundwater and surface water availability.