Peoria is growing quickly. To ensure it can supply new growth with a renewable water supply, Peoria maintains multiple planning documents including its 100-year Designation of Assured Water Supply and Integrated Water Resources Master Plan. While most new water users fall comfortably within these plans, a small number of relatively high water using customers can render these plans moot. Significant deviations from the plans can make it challenging for the City to fulfill its voter-approved vision set forth in the General Plan.

So that the City can protect the rights, interests, safety, health, and welfare of its residents, City Management has developed a draft ordinance for future non-residential customers (e.g., commercial, institutional, industrial) that use a relatively high volume of water (“Large Water Users”). The draft ordinance requires future customers, and existing customers seeking to significantly increase their water use, to apply for a City-issued permit before beginning or expanding water service. The general concept for the ordinance was borrowed from Valley municipalities that have similar ordinances in place including Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, and Phoenix.

Peoria staff will present on the rationale for a new ordinance as well as the draft’s structure and key provisions.