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PoliticsQuiet 3d · day 4

Scottsdale kills water recycling plan after election-year 'poop water' attacks

Arizona city abandons purified wastewater project after political candidates question safety, citing drought resilience concerns.

newest coverage 3d agosummary written 2d ago4 pieces NewswiresMastodonGoogle NewsReddit

What to know

  • Scottsdale's city council defunded a recycled water program in June after political candidates falsely characterized treated wastewater as "poop water," despite water officials noting less than 1% comes from toilets and the water exceeds federal standards.
  • The decision becomes a wedge issue in a November city council race, with candidates split on whether to add purified wastewater to the drinking supply.
  • Experts warn the move weakens water resilience across the Southwest at a time of severe drought and Colorado River cuts; Scottsdale's 28-year-old recycling expertise was poised to serve at least four other Arizona facilities.

“Some experts and residents said the budget change, along with a council majority that frowns on wastewater reuse, could weaken resilience at a time when the West is mired in drought and cities are facing significant cuts to allocations of Colorado River water.”

Experts and residents, water policy observers · CBS News ↗

Scottsdale City Council municipal bodyBryan Cassens Assistant senior director, Scottsdale WaterPolitical candidates (council race) election contenders

Scottsdale kills water recycling plan after election-year 'poop water' attacks
cbsnews.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in one hour at Sep 24, 6 AM; 4 pieces over 4 days (2 articles · 2 posts) Sep 24, 6 AM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Google News 1, Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Sep 24, 7 AM — quietSep 24, 8 AM — quietSep 24, 9 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Reddit 1Sep 24, 10 AM — quietSep 24, 11 AM — quietSep 24, 12 PM — quietSep 24, 1 PM — quietSep 24, 2 PM — quietSep 24, 3 PM — quietSep 24, 4 PM — quietSep 24, 5 PM — quietSep 24, 6 PM — quietSep 24, 7 PM — quietSep 24, 8 PM — quietSep 24, 9 PM — quietSep 24, 10 PM — quietSep 24, 11 PM — quietSep 25, 12 AM — quietSep 25, 1 AM — quietSep 25, 2 AM — quietSep 25, 3 AM — quietSep 25, 4 AM — quietSep 25, 5 AM — quietSep 25, 6 AM — quietSep 25, 7 AM — quietSep 25, 8 AM — quietSep 25, 9 AM — quietSep 25, 10 AM — quietSep 25, 11 AM — quietSep 25, 12 PM — quietSep 25, 1 PM — quietSep 25, 2 PM — quietSep 25, 3 PM — quietSep 25, 4 PM — quietSep 25, 5 PM — quietSep 25, 6 PM — quietSep 25, 7 PM — quietSep 25, 8 PM — quietSep 25, 9 PM — quietSep 25, 10 PM — quietSep 25, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quietToday, 9 AM — quietToday, 10 AM — quietToday, 11 AM — quietToday, 12 PM — quietToday, 1 PM — quietToday, 2 PM — quietToday, 3 PM — quietToday, 4 PM — quietToday, 5 PM — quietToday, 6 PM — quietToday, 7 PM — quietToday, 8 PM — quiet 1–2
Sep 25yesterdaytodaynow · 9:17 PM ET
  1. 2

    Experts warn decision could imperil water resilience across Southwest

    Experts and residents expressed concern that the budget change and council opposition to wastewater reuse weakens Scottsdale's resilience at a critical time, as the West faces severe drought conditions and significant cuts to Colorado River allocations. Scottsdale's expertise is vital for water officials in at least four other Arizona facilities hoping to replicate the recycling model.

  2. background

    Water officials defend treatment program as safe and scientifically sound — Scottsdale water authorities pushed back on candidates' "toilet to tap" framing, noting that less than 1% of the city's liquid waste comes from toilets and the purified water exceeds federal drinking water standards. The city says the false characterization marginalizes the science behind the treatment program.

  3. 1

    CBS News reports political candidates drove recycling program rejection

    Coverage reveals that the budget change was driven by election-year politics, with candidates in a three-way race for two council seats making unproven claims the recycled water was contaminated "poop water." One candidate supports the wastewater addition; a former Republican state lawmaker and conservative incumbent oppose it citing safety and cost concerns.

    “It's so important to protect and reuse water in the Southwest. Here we already know it all. We've been doing it f…”
    — Bryan Cassens
    1. 1 outlet Election year "poop water" claims lead wealthy suburb to drop recycling plan

      first by CBS News, 3d ago

  4. background

    Scottsdale city council kills direct-to-tap recycling plan — As criticism mounted over the recycled water program, the city council replaced funding for the recycling initiative and other water projects with a $100 million allocation for unspecified new water sources and supplies. The move killed a plan to add purified wastewater exceeding federal drinking water standards directly to Scottsdale's supply by 2027.

  5. background

    Scottsdale pioneers wastewater recycling system — The city of Scottsdale developed a wastewater recycling facility capable of serving 60,000 households, primarily using purified water to recharge aquifers during periods of low water availability.