New tanks allow Carefree to get CAP water from Cave Creek
By Curtis Riggs | November 26, 2008
Saves 51 cents per 1,000 gallons
CAREFREE – Carefree Water Company General Manager Stan Francom was happy to announce last week Carefree is now receiving the majority of its Central Arizona Project (CAP) water from the Cave Creek Water Company.
The CAP delivery charged levied by Cave Creek is $1.95 per 1,000 gallons, much less than the $2.46 per thousand gallons Scottsdale charges.
Francom would like to see the entire 300 acre-foot contract Carefree has with Cave Creek to be delivered in the coming year now that Cave Creek has solved the majority of its water problems with more storage capacity.
“So far we have had no problems. I feel good about taking the CAP water from Cave Creek,” he said, referring to the savings. “I’m sure we will both do everything we can to make this happen. It’s beneficial to both them and us.”
Cave Creek Utilities Manager Jessica Marlow said Cave Creek can deliver even more CAP water to Carefree in winter months. Cave Creek has trouble delivering enough CAP to Carefree in summer months because of its commitment to provide Desert Hills with water.
“With the new tanks we can provide Carefree with more water,” Marlow said about the 1.2-million-gallon Neary storage tank in downtown Cave Creek and the 2-million-gallon Rockaway Hills tank on Cave Creek’s northern border. “Now that we have more storage we don’t have problems with running out of water.”
Both Towns are working to upgrade the Galloway booster pump station near Stagecoach Village to expedite delivery of CAP water from Cave Creek to Carefree.
“Our only limitation is the Galloway booster station. In the summer it runs all the time,” Marlow said. “We can give more water to Carefree year-round once the Galloway booster station is upgraded with larger pumps and motors.”
The wheeling (delivery) agreement between Carefree and Cave Creek calls for Cave Creek to treat the CAP water before it delivers it to Carefree. The delivery agreement was made with the Cave Creek Water Company before it was acquired by the Town of Cave Creek. The Town of Carefree has owned the Carefree Water Company since 1999.
Carefree has an annual 1,350 allotment of CAP water at its disposal.
Cave Creek is happy about the Carefree CAP water revenue. “Revenue is revenue, but we also want to help,” Marlow said. Carefree supplied Cave Creek with water the summer before last when Cave Creek experienced a host of water problems because of the lack of storage capacity.
Marlow said Cave Creek received no emergency water from Carefree last summer. There are three water connections still available where Cave Creek can receive water from Carefree in an emergency.
Photo: Cave Creek Utilities Manager Jessica Marlow
Photo by Curtis Riggs