Phoenix city officials celebrate final pipe installation in the Drought Pipeline Project

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - It’s a construction project that may have caused you traffic headaches near 32nd Street and Shea in north Phoenix. Eventually the Drought Pipeline Project will be able to provide water to more than 400,000 people in the event of shortages of Colorado River water. It will be able to carry water the city of Phoenix has rights to from the Salt and Verde rivers.

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On Wednesday morning, a number of Phoenix city officials celebrated the installation of the final section of pipe for the Drought Pipeline Project. Construction began in May 2021, and Arizona’s Family did a special report over the summer.

HAPPENING NOW: crews are getting ready to install the final pipe that’s part of the Drought Pipeline Project near 32nd St. & Shea.

It will eventually provide water to about 400,000 people in the future of shortages on the Colorado River.

Live report at 9:30 on GMAZ. #azfamily pic.twitter.com/7QSwHOG7XU
— Whitney Clark (@whitneyclarktv) December 21, 2022

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego was among the city officials at the ceremony. Construction will be completed at the beginning of 2023 and testing will continue throughout the year.

In December, officials said that Arizona is poised to enter Tier 2A shortage for the lower Colorado River basin and cuts will come at the beginning of 2023. This means a 21% reduction of Arizona’s Colorado River supply and around 9% of the state’s overall water use, according to the Central Arizona Project. To learn more about these river allocation cuts, click here.

Here are other ways you can help save water at home.

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