Early settlers of Phoenix knew the importance of proper water management living in a desert landscape. While seasonal rainfall and runoff from mountain snowmelt provided “8 months of heaven,” the undependable summer season would mean “4 months of hell.” To solve the issue, settlers drilled wells to provide 2 million gallons of groundwater per day. These wells often ran dry during the summer. Urban developer, Jack Swilling, found a solution from ancient irrigation canals of the Hohokam Indians. He reconstructed these canals to deliver water from the local Salt River to the city throughout the year.

To contend with seasonal flooding and droughts, President Theodore Roosevelt’s National Reclamation Act of 1902 authorized the construction of several dams, including the Roosevelt Dam. While the Roosevelt Dam stored enough water for the residents of the Phoenix area, many complained that the water, fed by the Salt River, tasted salty. Phoenix turned to a source of surface water fed from pure snowmelt and rainwater. The Verde River met these qualifications and construction began on a 30-mile redwood pipeline from the Verde River to Phoenix. Within 10 years, a concrete pipeline and a 20-million-gallon reservoir were built to replace the redwood pipeline along with the construction of several dams and reservoirs. In 1968, the Central Arizona Project was enacted to bring water from the Colorado River to Phoenix.

Today, Phoenix’s water supply comes from 3 surface water sources: Theodore Roosevelt Lake, the Verde River, and the Colorado River. One of 5 treatment plants disinfects water with chlorine before delivering it to consumers. According to the  Phoenix Water Quality report, water that passes through treatment systems may still contain small amounts of microbial, inorganic, chemical, and radioactive contaminants. In addition, algae that grow in the canals during the late summer and fall can cause a “musty” odor and taste in Phoenix tap water.

The desert topography produces higher levels of sediment and minerals, like calcium, magnesium, arsenic, and chromium in drinking water. These elevated mineral levels can lead to corrosion of the copper piping, lead solder, or brass fixtures of service lines, leading to elevated copper and lead in the Phoenix tap water. Many residents install reverse osmosis (RO) filtration systems to reduce total dissolved solids and mineral content in their water.