Arizona's taps won't run dry, but water bills will go up under federal plan for Colorado River

New federal rules mean Arizona will be getting a lot less water from the Colorado river. City leaders say they've been planning for years and no one will run out, but keeping taps flowing is expensive.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5004x3336+0+0/resize/5004x3336!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F78%2F4d%2F0a9e40f049ef9973aaf54c0c22c1%2Fimg-2160.jpg' alt='The Central Arizona Project canal winds through Phoenix on March 26, 2026. The 336-mile canal system pumps water from the Colorado River to the Phoenix and Tucson areas. Water supplies for the canal's users will be cut under a new plan for managing the Colorado River.'/><p>New federal rules mean Arizona will be getting a lot less water from the Colorado river. City leaders say they've been planning for years and no one will run out, but keeping taps flowing is expensive.</p><p>(Image credit: Alex Hager)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5945480' />