Background/Summary:
The term drought is used to describe “an abnormally dry time period for a specific geographic area,” a common occurrence in a desert environment. Drought is not the same as a water shortage. To date Peoria has never experienced a water shortage, even in the midst of drought. This is largely due to the numerous water resource efforts that reduce the City’s drought susceptibility.
The Drought Management Plan provides for four stages of alert levels and triggering mechanisms. Water deficiency declarations shall be made by the City Manager or his designee, and continue until the declaration is rescinded by the City Manager, his designee, or terminated by the City Council. Four stages are defined, from Water Watch to Water Alert to Water Warning to Water Emergency, along with specific triggers related to water supply. For each stage the Water Drought Management Team will evaluate all possibilities from a matrix of options to identify voluntary or mandatory restrictions necessary to cope with escalating and/or extreme situations. Based on the Team’s analyses, the demand reduction goals will be related to the predicted or actual supply reduction. The Drought Management Plan focuses on water use practices in drought situations and provides a variety of tools that can be employed to curtail usage if necessary.
The City last prepared a Drought Preparedness Plan in 2003. This 2017 Drought Management Plan conforms to Arizona Revised Statutes § 45-342 and City of Peoria City Code (25-54), and aligns with the City of Peoria Principles of Sound Water Management, Policy 16 Drought Planning (City Council adoption 2007).