- Peoria approved a $104 million water purchase from Vidler Water Company.
- The deal includes 173,672 acre-feet of long-term water storage credits.
- The city says the water could add 1.5 million gallons a day to its supplies.
- The purchase includes 120 acres, two wells and related infrastructure in La Paz County in Arizona.
- The transaction is expected to close in late October.
Thursday, September 17, 2026 — Peoria is spending $104 million to add another water source as Arizona prepares for smaller Colorado River allocations.
The city announced
September 16 that it signed a purchase and sale agreement with Vidler Water Company for 173,672 acre-feet of long-term water storage credits.
An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land one foot deep. Peoria estimates that one acre-foot can supply about three homes for a year.
The purchase also includes Vidler’s 120-acre water campus in La Paz County, west of Tonopah. The property has two wells and related infrastructure.
Peoria says the acquisition could add the equivalent of 1.5 million gallons of water per day to the city’s water portfolio for the next 100 years.
Reducing Reliance on the Colorado River.
The purchase comes as Peoria prepares for reduced Colorado River supplies beginning in January 2027.
City Manager Mike Faust said Peoria’s water security strategy includes more than finding another source of water.
“That includes conservation methods, responsible growth strategies and the ability to be resilient when adverse events arise, such as what is happening now with the Colorado River allocation decision,” Faust said.
Before agreeing to the purchase, the city spent six months conducting water testing, legal analysis, permit reviews and financial reviews.
Once the necessary permits are completed, water from the Vidler wells would be piped into the Central Arizona Project canal. It would then be delivered to Peoria’s Pyramid Peak Water Reclamation Facility for treatment and use.
The city said the Vidler purchase is one of several water projects under consideration. Others include advanced water purification, additional wells, modifications to Bartlett Dam, and other projects involving the Harquahala Irrigation Non-Expansion Area.
The Vidler transaction is expected to close in late October.
