ABOUT
Background
People for the Playa Water Resources (:PPWR”) partners with the community to help Arizona residents in the Willcox Groundwater Basin reestablish their domestic water self-sufficiency as groundwater supplies decline.
The Basin in southeastern Arizona, with a population of 10,079, has a single source of water, an aquifer that the Arizona Department of Water Resources (“ADWR”) has declared one of the top 3 most threatened in the State. Since ADWR began monitoring wells in 2000, 71 have gone dry, including 29 in the last 10 years as the water table has begun dropping more rapidly.
Approximately 13 percent of the people living in the Basin are below the federal poverty line, according to the latest American Community Survey.
Despite these twin concerns of poverty and reduced access to water for domestic use, no entity has had programs to help create greater domestic water security for residents who are dependent on their own wells, until we formed in April 2025. Because PPWR is a new corporation, information provided focuses on current and planned activities.
We will achieve our goals by working with the community to assist residents of the Basin with domestic water access and conservation, as well as by providing educational assistance.
Financial Assistance
We plan to devote about 60 percent of our efforts to financially assist residents with reliable domestic water access and conservation. Funding will come from public and private grant-making organizations, donations, and membership fees.
There are three types of assistance:
(1) Water Hauling/Delivery
The first need for Basin residents with dry wells is to get access to an interim source of fresh, clean water. A viable and commonly used solution would be for the resident to haul domestic water to the property. The resident could also hire an individual or company to deliver the water.
Our website provides a list of known domestic water delivery companies with their contact information so residents can investigate them and arrange for water delivery. PPWR does not and will not endorse any domestic water delivery companies. In the event the resident requires financial assistance to pay for the water hauling or delivery, the resident must comply with all requirements from the funding source.
(2) Establishing a New Well or Deepening an Existing Well
A resident with a non-functioning well may seek a long-term solution, i.e., drilling a new well or deepening an existing well, and possible financial assistance, by complying with all requirements from the funding source.
The PPWR website contains a link to the Arizona Department of Water Resources list of licensed well drillers. PPWR does not and will not endorse any well drillers.
(3) Active Rainwater Harvesting Systems
Active rainwater harvesting involves the construction of a structure or structures capable of collecting and storing rainwater in a container for later beneficial use.
The PPWR website contains information on rainwater harvesting and catchment systems, including a partial list of known companies that provide rainwater harvesting or catchment services and equipment local to the Willcox Groundwater Basin with their contact information. PPWR does not and will not endorse any rainwater harvesting or catchment companies.
In the event the resident demonstrates the need for an active rainwater harvesting system and requires financial assistance to pay for installing such a system or for acquiring specific equipment such as a storage tank or a water purification device, the resident must comply with all requirements from the funding source.
Educational Assistance
We plan to allocate about 40 percent of our time to educational activities. Educational information raises the public’s awareness regarding authoritative water use and conservation information and assists residents who need help addressing their domestic water self-sufficiency and conservation so they can make informed decisions. Educational assistance is delivered in two main ways:
(1) Website: A web-based source of up-to-date information and resources to help residents do their own learning and investigation of groundwater, wells, and alternatives to wells such as active rainwater harvesting, and
(2) Programs: An interactive educational component that engages residents through in-person and online instruction on a variety of these water-related topics, presented or co-hosted by educational institutions, government agencies, other related organizations, and industry experts.
Educational programs offered are included on our website. Donations are used to pay for the annual renewal of the domain name and web hosting service, which amounts to about one percent of the projected budget. We will also collaborate with local organizations and professionals to create and present instruction and information sessions open to the public. By partnering with other organizations and individuals for in-person and online instruction, our educational programs will be funded mainly by in-kind donations of webinar services and meeting space, augmented by grants and donations when necessary.
Conclusion
With its nonprofit status, PPWR will be the only nonprofit entity making reestablishing domestic water self-sufficiency a reality for residents of the Willcox Groundwater Basin.
Water is life.
People for the Playa Water Resources 