Prescott Water Use vs Capacity

Understanding how much water Prescott is permitted to use versus how much is currently used is an important part of the public discussion about water supply and future planning.

Available data from the City of Prescott and regional water studies show that the community is currently using significantly less groundwater than its permitted allocation.

Current Water Use

·       Prescott currently uses approximately 6,000 acre-feet of groundwater per year.

·       An acre-foot equals about 325,851 gallons, enough to supply two to three Arizona households for a year.  (The City of Prescott uses .17-acre feet of water per year when allocating water to a single-family residence.  That is 5 – 6 single-family residences per acre-foot of water per year)

·       Current water demand reflects both residential and commercial use within the city water system.

Prescott Groundwater Capacity

·       The city's permitted groundwater capacity is approximately 16,000 acre-feet per year.

·       This allocation is established within the Prescott Active Management Area (PrAMA) under Arizona water law.

·       The permitted capacity represents the amount of groundwater the city could legally pump if needed.

What This Means

·       Current groundwater use is well below the permitted capacity.

·       This difference provides operational flexibility as the community grows.

·       Water conservation and efficiency improvements have helped keep total demand relatively stable over time.

Regional Water Management

Prescott operates within the Prescott Active Management Area created under Arizona’s 1980 Groundwater Management Act. This framework regulates groundwater use and requires long‑term planning to ensure sustainable water supplies.

Sources

City of Prescott Water Resource Management – Current Supplies: https://prescott-az.gov/water-resource-mgmt/current-supplies/

Arizona Department of Water Resources – Assured Water Supply Program: https://www.azwater.gov/aaws