Litchfield water issues continue a year after ACC investigation

A Litchfield-area and north Goodyear water company sent a water curtailment plan to residents Friday, amid rising heat, one summer after the Arizona Corporation Commission investigated the company for substandard service issues.

Liberty Utilities, a water provider for parts of Litchfield Park and Goodyear, issued a water curtailment plan to its customers Friday.

The plan outlines a “stage two” restriction on water usage. This restriction includes watering vegetation, filling pools, spas, or fountains, washing vehicles, and using water for construction purposes.

Last summer, Litchfield Park residents faced widespread water pressure shortages. Liberty attributed the shortage to heat.

“Excessive water use due to the continued hot and dry weather is resulting in lower water pressure,” they wrote in an email to residents in 2023. “Liberty is urging residents to immediately take steps to conserve water.”

The outcry over the water shortage prompted Arizona Corporation Commissioner Anna Tovar to initiate an investigation.

"Liberty called for immediate conservation and did not provide any information about when customers can expect normal water pressure to return," Tovar wrote. "I am opening this docket seeking information from Liberty so the Commission can properly investigate the situation."

In January, Tovar’s investigation found the company in good standing, finding that 11 low water pressure violations from Litchfield Park’s water company did not violate commission rules. The ACC, however, did mandate the company inform residents of water rate increases.

Tovar’s staff also believed a Liberty expansion into the northern zone would help get the water pressure issue righted.

“Staff believes this could alleviate some of the issues customers are encountering,” staff wrote.

In January, the ACC also mentioned an interconnect water agreement with the city of Goodyear and Liberty Utilities that they believe may be seen as a solution to bring long-term water flow or pressure to residents. 

The directors recommended a notification system to inform residents of how their water rates will increase with this agreement during times of use.

“The plan ... should include clear triggers on when the interconnection will be used, how these mechanisms will be communicated to the community, and how the costs will be recovered from ratepayers,” the ACC wrote.

Liberty's recent statement does not mention any rate increase or activation of an interconnect with the city of Goodyear, but instead actively outlines a curtailment and alludes to a "stage three."

"The company shall notify consumer services section of the utilities division of the Corporation Commission at least 12 hours prior to entering stage three," it wrote, in its statement.

The city of Goodyear released a statement to some of its residents affected by the plan.

“If you got this letter in the mail from Liberty Utilities, it was not sent from the city of Goodyear. Liberty Utilities sent it to their water customers. The City of Goodyear, which provides water services to residents south of I-10, holds a state issued Designation of Assured Water supply, which guarantees 100 years of water for existing development and committed development. To learn more about the City of Goodyear water services and management, visit http://goodyearaz.gov/,” it wrote.

Update from Liberty 6/17:

"Currently Liberty is in Stage 1, which means Liberty is operating normally, and no curtailment is necessary, but conservation efforts are encouraged as a best management practice. If there are any changes to the curtailment stage, Liberty will update webpage in addition to direct communication with impacted customers," Liberty wrote. "In addition, Stage 2 would be voluntary conservation efforts with Stage 3 being mandatory conservation as detailed in the Curtailment Tariff."