SRP stores water for tomorrow
SRP is working with municipal partners to develop a second water-banking facility to help ensure a reliable and adequate supply of water for the growing Phoenix metropolitan region.
The New River-Agua Fria River Underground Storage Project (NAUSP) is another proactive step SRP is taking to manage much of the Salt River Valley's limited water supply. 
"This project will offer a low-cost alternative to other storage options, such as reservoirs, while increasing the amount of water that can be stored for the future for Valley homes and businesses," said SRP Associate General Manager John Sullivan, who heads SRP's Water Group.
When NAUSP is completed, it will join SRP's Granite Reef Underground Storage Project (GRUSP) in storing water underground for future use.
Through artificial groundwater recharge, water is retained in huge, porous earthen basins and allowed to seep into the natural underground aquifer below. View a diagram illustrating how water is captured and stored.
An aquifer is the porous material in which water is contained underground. It can consist of gravel, fractured rock, sand, silt or a blend of such materials and vary in thickness from a few feet to 1,000 feet or more.
Water is stored in the aquifer and withdrawn by well-pumping when needed.
Like GRUSP, NAUSP will enable the state of Arizona to maximize use of its Colorado River entitlement and help the state reach its "safe yield" goal. Safe yield is the equilibrium between the amount of groundwater pumped from an aquifer and the amount recharged into it.
Both projects "provide another level of drought protection for a booming region that is expected to add another million people by 2010," Sullivan said.
| Construction: |
Completed in 1994; basin expansion in 1999 |
| Partners: |
Operated by SRP. Owned by SRP, Chandler, Gilbert, Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, and Tempe. |
| Water sources: |
Salt/Verde River water, Central Arizona Project water via the South Canal; reclaimed water via pipeline from Mesa water reclamation facility |
| Number of basins: |
Seven |
| Surface area (approx.): |
217 acres |
| Storage capacity: |
200,000 acre-feet per year permitted; about 100,000 acre-feet per year actual |
| Location: |
On Salt River-Pima-Maricopa Indian Community land, in the Salt River bed just west of SRP's
Granite Reef Dam |
| Distinction: |
First major recharge facility in the state, and one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. |
| Construction: |
Expected completion in 2009 |
| Partners: |
Operated by SRP; owned by SRP and the cities of Avondale, Chandler, Glendale and Peoria |
| Water source: |
Salt/Verde River water, Central Arizona Project water via the Grand Canal; reclaimed water via pipelines from Glendale and Peoria water reclamation facilities |
| Number of basins: |
Six off-channel basins and one in-channel basin |
| Surface area: |
125 acres |
| Storage capacity: |
75,000 acre-feet per year/permitted |
| Location: |
In Glendale, about one mile west of the new Phoenix Coyotes and Arizona Cardinals sports
complexes |
| Distinction: |
First major recharge facility in the west Valley |
Please e-mail SRP for more information about NAUSP or GRUSP.