Checking the record on Scottsdale candidates
OPINION — Michele Ugenti-Rita says the water produced by Scottsdale APRW (Pure Water) is brown from toilet water contamination. Pure Water exceeds all EPA water quality standards. All our potable water is subject to the same high standards.
(scottsdaleaz.gov/water/water-quality/water-quality-reports)
She says Pure Water is not pure; it is hard, causing lime buildup. Pure Water has no hard water components. The hardness in potable water comes from blending Pure Water with hard CAP water.
She says with conservation and use of our excess CAP water, there is no need to plan ahead for shortages. Scottsdale has about 250,000 acre-feet of stored water and uses 70,000-80,000 acre-feet of CAP annually. That is a 3- to 4-year supply.
Ugenti-Rita’s statements are void of facts and heavy on hyperbole.
Barry Graham pushed for the purchase of Harquahala Water, but failed to mention high cost of cleaning water of toxins and infrastructure needed to transport to CAP canal. The trick? Divide costs into separate line items spread over time to hide total cost. Graham and his crew cut over $233 million from the water budget. The trick is to brag about fiscal responsibility this election year, but next year we will be playing catchup.
In 2025, TAAAZE submitted a referendum petition for city vote on Axon. Referendum process authorizes city clerk to “place a call of election” in which council approves a date for a timely vote.
The trick is by vote of the bloc at the request of Graham to the city clerk, the item was removed from the agenda, preventing members from open discussion, eliminating a citizen vote and protecting Graham as responsible for blocking a citizen vote.
Councilwoman Solange Whitehead voted to give citizens the right to vote on the Axon referendum. She continues to fight for Scottsdale’s Strategic Water Plan, which would ensure a future of safe, affordable water for residents.
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